Paris, 13 January (H.S.): A major upset unfolded in the French Football Cup as Paris FC defeated the reigning champions and record 16-time winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 1-0 to advance to the round of 16. The match was played on Monday night at the Parc des Princes Stadium.Jonathan Ikoné, a former PSG academy player, emerged as the match hero. Entering as a substitute, he stunned his former team with the winning goal in the final 20 minutes. With this defeat, PSG suffered its first home loss in the French Cup since 2022 and its first exit in the round of 32 since 2014.

After scoring, Ikoné told France Télévisions, “We are very happy. We put up a fantastic defense. I am thrilled with my goal; it is a moment of joy for me, and I hope it will not be my last goal.”

Before the match, PSG's former captain Mamadou Sakho announced his retirement on the field. Sakho had begun his career in the Paris FC academy before moving to PSG.The two teams had clashed earlier this month as well, marking the first top-division Paris derby since 1990. In that encounter, PSG secured a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé.

Following that, PSG defeated Marseille on penalties in a match played in Kuwait to claim the French Champions Trophy.Newly promoted Paris FC, backed by luxury brand LVMH and Red Bull, currently sits 15th in the Ligue 1 table, two points above the relegation playoff spot.In terms of the match, PSG dominated the first half.

Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia created several chances but failed to score. For Paris FC, Alimami Gory received the best opportunity early on, before being substituted by Ikoné five minutes before halftime.

In the 10th minute of the second half, a poor pass from Paris FC center-back Mustafa Embo gave PSG a golden opportunity, but goalkeeper Oussama Ndiaye punched Gonzalo Ramos's superb shot away.In the final 15 minutes, as PSG piled on relentless pressure, Paris FC launched a counter-attack, and Ikoné capitalized to score.

In the seven minutes of injury time, Désiré Doué's header came agonizingly close to an equalizer, while Ndiaye made a brilliant save on Vitinha's long-range shot to seal the win for his team.In the final match of this round, Marseille will face sixth-division side Bayeux.

The game will take place in Normandy at the packed Stade Michel-d'Ornano in Caen. Bayeux, famous for its centuries-old tapestry, is the lowest-ranked team remaining in the tournament.

The round-of-16 draw will be held before this match.On Saturday, former Wolves coach Gary O'Neil began his tenure as Strasbourg's new coach with a 6-0 thrashing of fourth-division side Avranches.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar