Nigerian striker Gift Orban hit a three-minute hat-trick to help Gent blitz past Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old scored his hat-trick in the 31st, 32nd and 34th minutes to fire Gent into a 3-0 lead before his strike partner Hugo Cuypers rounded off the scoring for the Belgian giants just before the first-half break.
The match played at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium was an open affair for both sides from the start, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
The big win for Hein Vanhaezebrouck’ s side grants them passage into the quarter-finals of the competition.
Following his move to Belgium in January, Orban has hit double-digit goals for the Belgian Pro League outfit with 13 goals in nine games.
His hat-trick also took him to five goals in four Europa Conference League games while he has seven goals in five league appearances.
His hat-trick comes just a few days after he netted a second half haul in the 6-2 win over SV Zulte Waregem at the weekend.
The Nigerian youngster is proving to be worth every penny of the €3 million that Genk paid Norwegian side Stabaek for his services. On the flip side, his stock continues to rise with every passing game as speculation suggests he is closely monitored by the biggest clubs in Europe.
Up next for Gent is a home game against the relegation-threatened KAS Eupen who sit in 14th place in the Belgian top division.
