Cabaye Will Be Great for Al Nasr, Says Coach Jovanovic

The 32-year-old French midfielder was a cult hero at Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, renowned for scoring from distance.

He also won league and cup titles while at Lille and Paris Saint Germain, and was part of Didier Deschamps’ France squad that finished runners-up to Portugal on home soil at Euro 2016.

“It’s not easy to bring to this league this level of player,” Jovanovic told Gulf News on the eve of his side’s season-opener at home to Ajman on Thursday from 5.55pm. [The game will be played at Al Shabab’s former ground in Al Mamza due to the ongoing redevelopment of Al Nasr’s stadium].

“He’s a professional player, a big name and it’s very good for us at this club to have him here.

“Concerning the young players, he will be very important because they have to learn more about how to prepare for games, how they play the game, and they will learn also from the attitude of Cabaye.”

Cabaye joined Al Nasr on a two-year deal following his free transfer from Palace in July.

He lines up alongside Brazilian forwards Marquinhos Gabriel from Brazil’s Corinthians, Iury from Ukraine’s Zorya Luhansk, and Samuel Rosa from the UAE’s Hatta, in a complete overhaul of foreigners from the side that finished fourth last season.

Jovanovic took over halfway through the season after replacing former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, and has now done away with Brazilian forwards Wanderley, Marcelo Cirino, Moroccan centre Abdul Aziz Barrada and Lebanese defender Joan Oumari.

“We are a big club and have ambitions to fight in all competitions we participate in, but this period will be very difficult for Al Nasr because we have changed a lot,” said the Serbian, who is now in his second spell at the club, having previously led them to three cup titles in three years, also reaching the Asian Champions League quarters, between 2013 and 2016.

“We must change believing that we have a better and more productive team for the future.

“All the players we have brought in are very good but of course everyone is thinking about the conditions in which we will play,” he added of the heat and humidity.

“For the local players it will be a little easier because they are familiar with these conditions. Rosa is familiar, but with the other three, there is just one question over how they will behave.

“It doesn’t matter what I want or prefer, they have already decided this schedule and now we have to follow it.”