The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams exchanging goals in a thrilling encounter.

Lens took an early lead through Neil El Aynaoui's penalty in the 8th minute and Ruben Aguilar's strike in the 19th minute. However, Le Havre responded swiftly, leveling the score before halftime with goals from Issa Soumare in the 28th minute and Andre Ayew in the 33rd minute.

In the 42nd minute, VAR intervened to disallow a goal for Lens, keeping the score tied at 2-2 heading into the break.

The second half saw more twists, as Florian Sotoca restored Lens's lead in the 48th minute.

But Le Havre's Casimir equalized once again in the 62nd minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finale.

With time running out, Le Havre were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute after a VAR review.

Kouka stepped up confidently and slotted the ball into the center of the goal with a composed right-footed strike, sealing the win for his side in the dying moments, marking his second goal since joining Le Havre on a free transfer during the winter transfer window, signing until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old striker, who previously scored against Lille to help Le Havre secure a 2-1 victory on 8 February 2025, has now reached a milestone of 130 goals in his professional career across 397 matches in Europe.

The victory lifts Le Havre to 20 points, moving them up to 16th place in the standings and just two points above the relegation zone.

On the other hand, Lens suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the league, remaining on 33 points in eighth place.

Le Havre will look to build on this momentum when they face Saint-Étienne in their next league match on Sunday, March 9.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

Follow us on:

Facebook

Instagram

Whatsapp