Gift Orban, the newest Super Eagles star in town, received his first-ever red card in his professional football career.
This unexpected incident occurred during a Belgian Pro League match between KAA Gent and Eupen over the weekend.
In the 45th minute of the game, Orban was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball altercation, where he pushed Rune Paeshuyse in the neck, causing the KAS Eupen defender to fall in pain.
The VAR review confirmed the referee’s decision.
Remarkably, Gift Orban’s time on the pitch was short-lived, lasting only 44 minutes as KAA Gent hosted Eupen.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Gent showed remarkable resilience, securing a 2-1 victory with second-half goals from Sven Kums and Tarik Tissoudali.
This season has presented challenges for the Nigerian Super Eagles forward.
He has been struggling to score goals for Gent and, as well, just returned from an injury that sidelined him for weeks.
The 20-year-old forward, who started his sixth match of the season, left the field early due to the red card he received after the altercation with the Eupen defender.
As a consequence of this unfortunate incident, Orban is set to miss the next three matches for KAA Gent.
However, he expressed his regret and apologised to the fans as he left the field, marking this red card as a significant moment in his career.