Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom made his debut for Lille on Tuesday night, but it ended in disappointment as his side suffered a shocking defeat to lower-tier club Dunkerque in the French Cup.
Lille crashed out of the Coupe de France in the Round of 16 after losing on penalties. Despite the setback, Akpom marked his first appearance for the club by successfully converting his spot-kick in the shootout.
Heading into the game, Lille were confident, having secured impressive wins over Feyenoord in the Champions League and Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1. In contrast, Dunkerque entered the match as underdogs, having won just twice in their last six outings across all competitions.
Lille dominated the first half, but Dunkerque’s resilient defense kept them at bay, resulting in a goalless opening 45 minutes. The second half followed a similar pattern, with Lille pressing for a breakthrough. André Gomes finally found the net in the 85th minute, seemingly securing victory for the home side.
However, the match ultimately went to penalties, where Dunkerque pulled off a stunning upset, eliminating Lille and spoiling Akpom’s debut.
