Indeed, the magic of the French Cup was on full display tonight, with some thrilling round of 16 matches where African players played pivotal roles.
In Angers, CA Bastia pulled off yet another surprise victory, thanks to their star scorer, the Nigerian S. Mba, who found the net in the 31st and 105th minutes. Angers managed to level the score with goals from the Tunisian K. Ayari in the 57th minute and C. Diers in the 105th minute. However, Angers ultimately secured their qualification with two late goals scored by Mohamed Lamine Yattara, a Guinean international footballer, and Blayac, who scored in the 117th minute.
Meanwhile, in Cannes, the CFA club (4th division) stunned Ligue 1 club Montpellier with a 1-0 victory after extra time. Belkacem Zobiri, the Algerian forward, became the hero of the night with his unstoppable strike in the dying moments of the game.
In Toulouse, Djibril Cissé led his team to victory with a 3-1 win away from home. Goals for Toulouse came from E. Ben Basat, while D. Cissé, Modesto, and G. Bruno found the net for Bastia.
Lastly, Lille faced a tough challenge at home against Caen, an L2 team, with the Guinean B. Koïta proving to be a thorn in their side by scoring two goals. Despite Lille’s efforts to come back, Caen managed to equalize in the dying minutes, leading to a thrilling penalty shootout where Lille emerged victorious with a score of 6-5.
What an incredible night of football! The excitement continues as the French Cup journey progresses.
