Stade de Reims has secured their spot in the Coupe de France final for the first time since 1977, triumphing over fourth-tier Cannes with a score of 2-1. Remarkably, this marks the first time they advanced without the tension of penalties in the last four rounds.
Cannes, having already taken down three Ligue 2 teams to reach this stage, started strongly but soon realised the danger posed by Reims. Junya Ito’s effort was expertly tipped around the post before Almike N’Diaye prevented a Cedric Kipre header from crossing the line.
The threat materialised in the 14th minute, as Mamadou Diakhon weaved his way down to the byline and pulled the ball back for 19-year-old Hafiz Ibrahim, who finished simply for his first-ever goal for Reims.
Despite the setback, Les Dragons attacked with determination, prompting Yehvann Diouf to call upon his defenders after misjudging a corner, while Keito Nakamura’s follow-up shot drifted wide.
The home side responded with a series of crosses which Les Rouges et Blancs defended well, although Damien Ott’s men found it difficult to stop Diakhon on the counter.
Bookings for Cheikh Ndoye and Lorenzo Vinci came just four minutes apart for fouling the 19-year-old, who then created a superb opportunity for Valentin Atangana, only for the latter to miss the target.
The Stade Pierre de Coubertin erupted in celebration seven minutes after the interval, when Ndoye converted a header that deflected off Joseph Okumu into his own net.
Shortly after, Teddy Teuma entered the fray and quickly made an impact by scoring with a first-time effort from Ibrahim’s low cross, restoring Reims’ advantage just six minutes later.
Mathias Fischer nearly equalised with a quick response, but his teammate’s precise cross fell to Julien Domingues, whose powerful header was saved well by Diouf.
Chafik Abbas and Oumar Diakité both had attempts that went wide, as Les Dragons kept striving for a fairytale finish.
Arthur Dassiémou Mai’s swashbuckling run ended with a shot that went astray, as Reims celebrated their first consecutive competitive wins since October and prepared to face Paris Saint-Germain for a chance to claim the Coupe de France.
On the other hand, Cannes will aim to reignite their campaign for a spot in France’s third tier after suffering three straight defeats across all competitions.
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