WARRIORS’ striker Tino Kadewere says he has settled down at Nantes and is enjoying his stint at the French club.
The 28-year-old scored the second goal for the Ligue 1 side in the 2-1 league win away at Toulouse on Sunday, his first league goal since arriving at the club on loan from fellow league side Olympique Lyon during the mid-season transfer window.
The goal was his third for the team, having also scored in cup competitions.
Speaking after the weekend game, the former Harare City striker said he is getting the much-needed game time.
“For an attacker, the most important thing is to be on the pitch,” Kadewere said.
“I'm happy to be here and I'm proud of myself because I have already played more with FC Nantes than with my old club last year. I have to continue like this and not give up."
The game was his sixth for Nantes, starting in almost all the matches and racking up more minutes than in the 11 games he featured for Lyon in the first half of the season.
On Sunday, Kadewere finished off a good flowing move to give Nantes the insurance goal on 51 minutes after Egyptian international Mostafa Mohamed had given the side a second minute lead.
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It was the club's first league win in seven matches.
The victory moved them off the relegation zone to 12th position with 22 points, three above the relegation cutoff point.
“We managed the attack very well. Benie Traore saw me directly when he received the ball, and I was able to score a goal. It was important for me and for the team because we really needed that. We came with only one motto: to take points. It was important. We worked on it all week. We said to ourselves, even if we play badly, we must take points. So, we are happy to take these three points. Now we have to continue like this: take points even if we have bad matches.”
Kadewere’s loan deal with Nantes expires at the end of the season but he has an option of a permanent move if the club survives the relegation chop.
Nantes will be expected to pay a small fee for the player whose value has slumped to about €2,5 million (US$2,7 million) since his €12 million (US$13 million) switch to Lyon from Le Havre four years ago.
His coach Jocelyn Gourvennec praised the Warriors star after the match and said the attacker is adapting well to his new environs.
“The first goal from Mostafa (Mohamed) launched the team into the match and the second from Tino (Kadewere) was magically well played. Kadewere and Mohamed get along well. Tino puts a lot of links and bonds in the group.
He is good with all his teammates, the new, the young, and the old... It's his background. He pokes the ball inside and then comes to finish. The whole group is rewarded. We scored twice at the start of each period. The most important thing for us was to take the points against a direct competitor. We took the three points and it's perfect," he said.
Nantes‘ next league match is a tough home game against log leaders PSG on Saturday.
