Georges-Kevin N'Koudou faces favourite foe Al Ittihad as Abha search for lift

Georges-Kevin N'Koudou faces favourite foe Al Ittihad as Abha search for liftfeatureOn-loan star bagged braces against Jeddah giants when at Damac and hopes that'll continue for bottom club on FridayGeorges-Kevin N’Koudou knows already what it takes to carry the offensive responsibility for a club in the Roshn Saudi League.And, conveniently for his week, he knows better than most, too, how to hurt Al Ittihad.That’s the version of the 31-year-old that Abha will be hoping can rediscover his best form as they seek to escape the bottom of the 2026-27 RSL, beginning this week against Jens Wissing’s title-chasers.While representing Abha’s provincial rivals, Damac, N’Koudou became one of the Saudi top flight’s most lethal forwards.Georges-Kevin N'Koudou joined Abha in September on loan from Diriyah ClubAcross the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, the Cameroonian notched 28 goals, an especially impressive return given his nominal position as winger.Four of those goals came from two of four games against Al Ittihad and, to make the stat even more relevant, all four came at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium - the same venue where last-placed Abha will welcome four-placed Al Ittihad this Friday.Each time, Damac won.Two games. Two N’Koudou braces. Maximum points.On-loan Abha star Georges-Kevin N'Koudou is yet to get off the mark in the RSL this seasonIn fact, it’s even more remarkable than that, because on both occasions N’Koudou scored the winning goal in stoppage-time. Talk about impact.Other than coming up clutch, N’Koudou’s best goal of all those at Damac came in January 2025, when he scored a screamer from outside the box to stun title-contenders Al Ittihad and give his hosts an early lead.Watching the goal back for a previous interview with the Saudi Pro League, N’Koudou could only laugh.Georges-Kevin N'Koudou celebrates scoring superb goal for Damac against Al Ittihad“During the week, we worked a lot on that,” he said. “We saw that when there were corner-kicks, [Al Ittihad] weren’t 100 percent focused.“I saw that I had space, and I know if I have space in front of the penalty area and the ball goes well - last year I scored a few like that; this year too - so I knew, if I had the chance, it’s a goal.“I told Nico [Stanciu] to play fast because I saw I had time. Then a Saudi player comes out of the penalty area, but it goes too fast. I had already anticipated the dribble; I just had to place it. And that’s what I did.”"Placing it" might be slightly underselling the finish. It was a rasping effort that left Al Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic rooted to the spot.Georges-Kevin N'Koudou in action for Abha against parent club Diriyah ClubIt’s now, in Matchweek 12 of the 2026-27 RSL that N’Koudou and Rajkovic face off once more. Sitting bottom of the table, and on the back of three straight defeats, Abha really could do with the N'Koudou of old to reignite their campaign.Intriguingly, there are plenty of similarities between those seasons for Damac, and this one for N’Koudou’s current employers. The obvious is the location, with both clubs located in the Asir province in the south-west of Saudi Arabia.It’s a region that N’Koudou, who is French-born, has grown to love and feel at home in.“It’s beautiful,” he said. “I’ve seen beautiful places, but this is one of the most beautiful. When I arrived here in Saudi, I thought about football, not about the region.Georges-Kevin N'Koudou's SPL shoot gets gatecrashed by some mountain wildlife“The region, even the city, is very beautiful. When you go to Abha there are beautiful places… it’s different from other cities because there are a lot of mountains here.”That trademark smile that delivered those remarks has been harder to find this season, with both N'Koudou and Abha struggling to find the back of the net.A late loan signing from Diriyah Club in this summer’s transfer window, N’Koudou knows he has what it takes to perform in the RSL. Most probably, he simply needs a goal to shake off the shackles.More than anything, though, Abha need that if they are to get out of their current predicament, having amassed only two points after 10 league matches.Georges-Kevin N'Koudou finds the net against Al Ittihad during the 2023-24 RSLFor sure, N’Koudou will recognise that expectation sits upon his shoulders - as it did at Damac.“Damac is a smaller team, and they relied more on me to be the one to score goals or make an assist,” he said. “I always try to do my best for the team.”Perhaps N’Koudou’s record against Al Ittihad can be put down to his fearlessness. Playing against the most prominent teams, and the most prominent players, is clearly something he thrives on.“I have been used to playing against big players since I was 17, 18,” N'Koudou said. “It doesn’t feel surprising to me, like it might for other players who don’t have this experience.“I am not shy or scared to play. You still have to be able to express yourself, whoever the opponent - even when it is big players or big teams.”AbhaDiriyahAl IttihadAbha - Al Ittihad 10/30/2026