LONDON: Few players will want the winter break in the Saudi Pro League to be over more than Georges-Kevin N’Koudou. Despite his team Damac sitting in 10th place in the Saudi Pro League table, N’Koudou has netted eight goals in 13 games so far; only Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Aleksandar Mitrovic have scored more in the league this season. The Cameroon international primarily operates as a winger but since moving to Damac in the summer of 2023, N’Koudou has become a dangerous finisher.
Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, he had only scored more than five goals in a season once in his career. At Damac, he has done it twice in a row. N’Koudou hit the ground running in impressive fashion after his move from Turkish side Besiktas, bagging 14 goals in his first 16 games, including a sensational match-winning brace against then-reigning Saudi champions Al-Ittihad last December.
The Damac No. 10 credits his prolific form to the influence of his coach, ex-AC Milan defender Cosmin Contra. “The coach has given me so much responsibility and freedom on the field,” N’Koudou told Arab News.
“He knows I have experience, so he has just let me play my game and be happy on the pitch and off the pitch. “I have had many great coaches in my career so far but before being a coach, (Contra) is a great man. He’s honest and if he has something to say he will say it to you straight.
“He’s really passionate about the game because he was a player before. He understands us an.
