The Super Eagles have a new centre-forward option on paper and none of him in camp, after FIFA closed a three-year nationality fight that stopped Gift Orban pulling on the green jersey, Footynaija.com reports.
The Amedspor striker, on loan from Hoffenheim and joint top of the Turkish Super Lig with seven goals and two assists, is now free to play for Nigeria. A senior official confirmed the clearance as Eric Chelle’s side opened AFCON 2027 qualifying against Madagascar in Uyo.
The ruling came after Chelle had already named his squad, then called Taiwo Awoniyi in when Victor Osimhen withdrew with a muscle injury.
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Orban’s club form had already forced the question. Newly promoted Amedspor sit top of the Super Lig heading into the international break, and the former Lyon forward has carried a large share of that surge. Chelle still left him out. The reason was never only football.
Togo kept the file open
José Peseiro first invited Orban in September 2023 for an AFCON qualifier against São Tomé and Príncipe. He trained with the Super Eagles and never made his debut. The NFF spoke of a knock in camp.
Togo had already written to Nigeria, claiming the striker was Togolese and had appeared in a CHAN qualifier under another name. Orban rejected that then and said he had never played for Togo. His father is from Benue, his mother is Togolese; he has pointed at Nigeria every time the choice came up.
The dispute froze him anyway. A coach can fancy a striker who tore through Gent, scored in Ligue 1 for Lyon, then took the Hoffenheim and Verona route into Turkey. He cannot risk a matchday protest that blows up an AFCON qualifier. That is why a player scoring at this rate watched the Madagascar squad go out without him.
The next international break is now the first clean window. Nigeria are already in this camp and Orban is not flying in mid-series. When Chelle next sits down to pick strikers, Awoniyi, Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare and George Ilenikhena will still be in the conversation. Orban’s name can join that list without the old warning attached.
