Brest 1-2 Nice: Diouf Redeems Himself With Late Penalty Save

Yehvann Diouf went from villain to hero in the space of 84 minutes on Friday night, gifting Brest the lead with a dreadful early error before saving Kenny Lala's penalty in the tenth minute of stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2-1 comeback win for Nice — their first away victory of the Ligue 1 season.

Goals from Elye Wahi and Sofiane Diop turned the match around in the second half at the Stade Francis-Le Blé, but this was a night that belonged to the Senegal goalkeeper, whose evening swung from embarrassment to redemption in the most extreme way imaginable.

A nightmare start for Diouf

Brest were handed the lead on a plate after 15 minutes. Diouf dawdled on the ball as he tried to play out from the back, Ludovic Ajorque closed him down and dispossessed him, and the striker had the simplest of tasks in rolling the ball into an empty net. As Flashscore noted in its match report, it was Nice's fourth error leading directly to an opposition goal in Ligue 1 this season — more than any other team in the division.

The goalkeeper's night almost got worse before it got better. Another loose clearance went straight to Mama Baldé, who fed Kamory Doumbia in the box, only for the Malian to fumble his effort with the goal gaping. It was a let-off Nice barely deserved, and it proved to be the turning point of the match: Brest had their chance to kill the game, and they let it slip through their fingers.

Wahi and Diop turn it around

The equaliser arrived on 61 minutes, and it was made by two of Africa's brightest attacking talents. Mohamed Amoura swung in a corner, and Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi manoeuvred himself in front of Lala to divert the ball past Egil Selvik with an outstretched right leg.

The change a minute later proved inspired, as Sofiane Diop replaced Gauthier Hein — and on 83 minutes the substitute won the match. Diop intercepted a loose Bradley Locko pass and fed Wahi, who was challenged as he shaped to shoot inside the box, but the Moroccan international picked up the loose ball and dispatched his strike past Selvik to complete the turnaround. At the back, Egypt defender Mohamed Abdelmonem was immense for the visitors, recording 12 defensive contributions — the highest total of any player on the pitch.

The save that sealed it

There was still one final twist. Deep into stoppage time, a VAR review penalised Isak Jansson for hauling down Ibrahim Kanté in the box, and Brest had a penalty to rescue a point in the 99th minute. Lala, who had been beaten for the equaliser, stepped up to take it — and Diouf flung himself to his right to keep it out, as Africa Soccer described in its report on the Senegal international's redemption.

Nice's players mobbed their goalkeeper at the final whistle seconds later. The numbers underlined how unlikely the win was: Brest managed 13 shots and seven on target, while Nice scored twice from only two efforts on target all night.

So what does it mean?

The win lifts Nice to 11 points and provisionally eighth in Ligue 1, above a Brest side who stay on nine points in 11th — the two teams had been separated by a single point before kick-off. It also continues a strong week for French clubs' African contingent, after Monaco won in Europe in midweek, while Marseille suffered a setback. For Nice, a first away win of the campaign — earned in this fashion — could be the result that finally ignites their season.

Beyond the Final Whistle: Diouf's season has summed up Nice themselves — careless with the ball at their feet, but capable of brilliance when it matters most. Four errors leading to goals is a problem no coach can ignore, yet a goalkeeper who responds to a howler by saving a 99th-minute penalty has a mentality you cannot coach. If Diouf cuts out the dithering, Nice have a match-winner at both ends of the pitch. Was Diouf's save the best piece of goalkeeping in Ligue 1 this season? Let us know in the comments.