ANGERS: Angers reached their first French Cup final in 60 years when Thomas Mangani and Karl Toko Ekambi earned them a 2-0 home win against En Avant Guingamp on Tuesday.

Mangani scored before the break and Toko Ekambi wrapped it up in stoppage time after Guingamp’s Jimmy Briand missed a last-gasp penalty at a packed out Raymond Kopa stadium.

Angers will play either Paris St Germain or Monaco in the final at the Stade de France on May 27.

“We had said that getting to the final would be a dream — the key word was turning that into a reality, and we did it with all the emotion and joy that produces,” said Angers coach Stephane Moulin.

“And I told the lads tonight that they knew how to be happy and render others happy — that’s the most wonderful thing in life.

“We’ve wiped out 60 years absence from the French Cup final — that’s pretty exceptional.”

Mangani opened the scoring in the 38th minute with an effort from close range to put the hosts, who were looking to reach their first Cup final since 1957 when they lost 6-3 to Toulouse, on the right track.

Winners in 2009 and 2014, Guingamp were offered a lifeline two minutes from time when Cheikh Ndoye was controversially penalised for a non-existent handball in the area.

But former France international Briand’s penalty hit the post in the 89th minute.

Toko Ekambi scored two minutes into added time to end Guingamp’s comeback hopes.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017