A double from Seko Fofana (67th, 90th + 5), who had responded to another double from Amadou Onana (29th, 33rd), allowed the Sang et Or to snatch the penalty shootout they won on a last attempt by their captain, real hero of the evening.

Three months after a success (1-0) in the league, the RCL records a new victory against its sworn enemy, to the delight of its fans.

He will once again play in front of his home crowd in the eighth, welcoming another L1 club, AS Monaco, at the end of January.

In a noisy Bollaert stadium despite a gauge of 5,000 supporters, gathered in the same stand, the Mastiffs achieved a serious match but ended up paying for their lack of efficiency.

Despite a dozen absences, Lille coach Jocelyn Gourvennec had promised to line up a "competitive" starting team and he kept his word since all the players who started were regulars in L1.

On the other hand, of the eight substitutes, only Isaac Lihadji, recovered just in time from the Covid, had played with the pros this season!

At the start of the meeting, the Sang et Or put pressure on the Mastiffs and quickly proved dangerous by Arnaud Kalimuendo (5th) and Florian Sotoca (13th) who stumbled on an inspired Ivo Grbic, while Fofana did not found the framed (7th).

RC Lens captain Seko Fofana is elated after equalizing against Lille in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France in Bollaert, January 4, 2022 FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP

However, the best opportunity was in favor of Lille: after a nice overflow on the right side, Gabriel Gudmundsson served in withdrawal Yazici, whose recovery was diverted by Wuilker Farinez on the crossbar (8th).

Fofana responds to Onana

Little by little the debates were balanced and Onana opened the scoring on a cross from Tiago Djalo extended by Kevin Danso (0-1, 29th).

Shortly after, the captain of the Diablotins, the Belgian Espoirs, offered himself a double on a service from Bamba, which had been well launched by Yazici (0-2, 33rd).

In the process, Onana even passed very close to the hat-trick by taking up with his head an attempt by his Turkish teammate who had been deflected by Danso (34th).

The RCL ended up reacting with a strike from Jonathan Clauss deflected by Grbic (38th), then a unscrewed strike from David Pereira Da Costa (42nd).

On the return from the locker room, Lens put the pressure back on but the shots from Cheick Doucouré (47th) and Kalimuendo (51st) did not worry the Lille goalkeeper.

At the hour of play, Losc had two opportunities to kill the suspense, but Gudmundsson missed the frame (63rd) then did not support his center back enough for Onana (65th).

The Belgian midfielder from Lille Amadou Onana (arm raised) celebrates his goal in the Coupe de France in Bollaert, January 4, 2022 FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP

The RCL took advantage of this lack of efficiency to reduce the score by Fofana at the end of an action started with a touch signaled for Lille ... but quickly played by the Lensois Corentin Jean (1-2, 67th).

After a shot on the post from Yazici (84th), decidedly unhappy, and an attempt by Ibrahima Baldé on the bar (89th), Fofana snatched the equalizer at the end of added time (2-2, 90th + 5), before giving the victory to his team by scoring the last shot on goal.

© 2022 AFP