Cod Almighty | Article

by Paul Ketchley

31 July 2005

After much excitement Jean-Paul Kamudimba signed for us from Nice in the summer. Hailed as a World Cup star and as dropping down from a French League 1 club, JPK has raised high hopes that a new Ivano Bonetti has arrived.

Well, not quite. Kamudimba made only three appearances for Nice - at least two of which were as a substitute. In total last season he was on the pitch for just 14 minutes. He turned out for the Democratic Republic of Congo (better known to some as Zaire) against Tunisia, Rwanda and Guinea in the African Nations Cup. The Congolese lost all three matches and finished bottom of the group without a goal to their name.

So it's a bit difficult to predict what he'll be like. Early appearances might suggest a sort of Patrick Vieira-type figure anchoring the midfield in our 3-4-3 formation. Just how he'll adapt to the rough and tumble of the fourth division is uncertain. We know the reputation French players have for preferring a silkier style of game than you're likely to find in Macclesfield or Rochdale, so who knows?

Kamudimba was previously on trial at both Barnsley and Swansea, and was rejected by both, although some reports suggest that Barnsley intended to sign him. In his first pre-season game for Town it was noticeable that J-P had heavy strapping on his knee, so maybe the Tykes judged him incapable of the physical demands of the third division. So he could be an inspired signing who comes good. Or an over-fragile one who won't last five minutes.