Paris (AFP)

Party in Reunion, relief on the Rock. Monaco and its new coach Robert Moreno, won their qualification for the 16th in the Coupe de France in extremis. Just like the JS Saint-Pierroise (R1), which became the second overseas club to reach this level after its feat against Niort.

Robert Moreno can thank Benjamin Lecomte and especially Keita Baldé. The first to have stopped a penalty at the very end of the match against Reims (85th), the second to have scored a double with a goal in the last second (90th + 5) synonymous with qualification (2-1).

The replacement for Leonardo Jardim will have experienced in the Cup his first emotion as head coach of an elite team of a great European championship. It is up to him to ride this success, as a double confrontation against Paris SG in Ligue 1 looms.

Last ultramarine team still in the running, the Reunion club of JS Saint-Pierroise has extended its historic adventure at the expense of the Niortais, at worst in Ligue 2 with an 18th place (2-1).

It was the winger Ryan Ponti who offered the victory to his family, in a René Gaillard stadium where many fans won over to the Reunion cause had made the trip to follow the epic of the former club Dimitri Payet.

A rare epic: only an overseas club, the Geldar of Kourou (Guyana), had reached the knockout stages of the National Cup in the 1988-1989 season before being eliminated by Nantes. But never had a club from Reunion been so far in competition.

- Regrets for Bayonne and Tours -

The gap was too large, however, for Bayonne rowing. Yet strongly supported in its Jean-Dauger stadium, usually reserved for rugby, Rowing fell against Nantes (2-0).

Perhaps he lacked the support of his former glory Didier Deschamps to get better: the coach of the Blues, born in Bayonne and went through rowing before hatching pro ... Nantes, finally made the deadlock when he was hoped on his land.

"This match leaves a touch of regret, because we existed," said Bayonne coach Erwan Lannuzel, saying that the performance of his team "was beautiful."

Regrets shared by the players of Tours (N3), only eliminated by Nîmes on penalties (2-2, 4-2 tab).

The Crocodiles therefore join Bordeaux, qualified on Friday, and Strasbourg, who did the job in Calais against Le Portel, club of N3 (4-1), Saturday afternoon. Pending in particular the matches of Lyon, at Bourg-en-Bresse (N1) on Saturday evening, and of Paris SG in Essonne against Linas-Montlhéry (R1) on Sunday.

In addition, the two other Ligue 2 clubs competing on Saturday, Caen and Paris FC, also qualified.

The Cup day was marked by numerous tributes to the Guingamp player Nathaël Julan, who died suddenly in a road accident on Friday, at the age of 23. A minute of silence or applause was observed on all the lawns.

© 2020 AFP