Paris FC stuns PSG in huge Coupe de France upset
Jonathan Ikone continued his fine form in the Coupe de France, scoring the winning goal as Paris FC beat his old club and cup holder Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at Parc des Princes.
PSG had 25 shots to the visitors' four, but was unable to produce similar late heroics to its Trophee des Champions victory as it was dumped out of the round of 32.
Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Goncalo Ramos had good chances to take the lead for the hosts in the first half.
But Pars FC goalkeeper Obed Nkambadio was in inspired form, making several excellent saves to keep his in the game. Kvaratskhelia saw multiple chances pushed away by the goalkeeper, and they would all come to count for the visitors.
Ikone did what his more illustrious opponents couldn't when the chance came his way against the run of play after a quick counter-attack.
Ilan Kebbal threaded a perfect pass into the Frenchman, who took the ball under control with a superb first touch before drilling past Lucas Chevalier in the PSG goal.
Ikone stifled his celebration in respect of his former club, but the fans were far less reserved as they went wild in the stands with only 16 minutes remaining.
PSG went into overdrive as the reality of falling short set it.
Warren Zaire-Emery then rattled the crossbar with an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area before Illia Zabarnyi and Desire Doue fired wide.
But Nkambadio saved his best for last when he produced stunning stop in the final moments to tip Vitinha's long-range effort over the crossbar, effectively securing Paris FC a major upset at the home of last season's treble winner.
PSG coach Luis Enrique had no complaints about the performance of his players, claiming they deserved to be on the winning side.
"I think it's pretty easy to dissect the game," Luis Enrique said. "We played a complete game.
"We played brilliantly; we did everything right. We deserved to win, for sure. But this is a sport where goals decide everything. They scored; we didn't. That's football for you.
"Nevertheless, I'm really proud of the team – both as a whole and individually. The result? It hurts. It feels unfair.
"But we have to swallow it. I wish Paris FC the best of luck in the future. To be honest, I'm happy with what I saw on the pitch."
While PSG will not be able to add a record-extending 17th Coupe de France title to its collection, Luis Enrique noted that this loss was not a cause for concern.
"If you just look at the scoreboard, of course, it can look worrying," he admitted. "But watching that game? We were so far ahead.
"Football can be so cruel. You have to learn to accept victory, even when it seems strange. This result is certainly strange.
"There's always something to take away, even from failure. Of course, that wasn't our goal. We love this competition. But it's what we've got. If I lose the match, I'd prefer it to be like that – to give it my all."
