Dijon FCO secured a 2-1 victory over Aubagne-Air Bel in a French National League match on Friday, March 13, 2026, but the scoreline barely tells the story of an utterly improbable evening at Stade Gaston-Gérard. The match featured two penalties and, remarkably, saw Dijon play for over an hour with a defender in goal after an injury to their goalkeeper.
The drama began in the 25th minute when Dijon was awarded a penalty, converted by Yanis Barka, after a handball by Aubagne-Air Bel’s Mohamed Nehari. Just three minutes later, Aubagne-Air Bel nearly equalized, but Chaban’s effort struck the crossbar. The situation took a bizarre turn shortly after, as Dijon goalkeeper Paul Delecroix suffered an injury, forcing manager Baptiste Ridira to substitute defender Lenny Lacroix into the net. This was necessitated by the National League’s rules limiting teams to 16 players, meaning Dijon hadn’t included a second goalkeeper on the bench.
Defender in Goal, Late Drama at Gaston-Gérard
Lacroix, a former defender for FC Metz, initially held his own, but the pressure eventually told. In the 64th minute, Enzo Mayilla leveled the score for Aubagne-Air Bel, capitalizing on a defensive lapse. Despite dominating possession, Aubagne-Air Bel struggled to break down Dijon’s makeshift defense. The match appeared headed for a draw until the dying moments.
Dijon, against all odds, regained the lead in stoppage time through another penalty, awarded for a foul by Mohamed Abdallah. The decision was contentious, sparking protests from the Aubagne-Air Bel players. To compound matters, Abdallah, already on a yellow card, received a second yellow and was sent off, leaving his team to finish the match with ten men. The final whistle blew shortly after, confirming a remarkable victory for Dijon.
The win, while significant for Dijon, came amidst a challenging run of form – they had lost their previous three matches. For Aubagne-Air Bel, this defeat marks their fourth consecutive loss, continuing a recent slump. The match was a testament to the unpredictable nature of football, and a night that will be remembered for its unusual circumstances.
Match Details
Dijon 2 – 1 Aubagne-Air Bel
Stade Gaston-Gérard
Referee: Dorian Bovolenta
Half-time: 1-0
Goals – Dijon: Barka (pen., 25), Domingues (pen., 90+2). Scaab: Mayilla (64).
Warnings – Dijon: Bellon (47), Diouf (84), Barreto (90). Scaab: Nehari (23), M. Abdallah (73, 87), Chaban (84), El Kaddouri (87), Mimb (90).
Ejection – Scaab: M. Abdallah (87).
Dijon: Delecroix (Lacroix, 38) – Diallo, Diouf, Bernard, Khatir – Hamada (Vargas-Rios, 71), Ndezi (Chouchane, 71), Bellon (Domingues, 58) – Marié (cap) – Barka, Ntamack (Barreto, 58). Manager: Baptiste Ridira.
Scaab: Gil – Chibani, Nehari (cap), Mimb – M. Abdallah, Diaby, Ndiaye (Oudjani, 54), El Kaddouri – Bentoumi (Daou, 82), Mayilla (Berrabha, 75), Chaban. Manager: Gabriel Santos.
Aubagne-Air Bel will look to rebound from this defeat when they travel to Dijon for their next match on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 19:30. Dijon will then host Sochaux on the same date. Fans can purchase e-tickets for the upcoming match against Sochaux through the SC Aubagne Air Bel official website.
The result leaves Dijon firmly at the top of the National League standings with 43 points, while Aubagne-Air Bel remains in ninth place with 28 points. The league table, as of March 13, 2026, shows a tight competition at the top, with Rouen closely trailing Dijon with 42 points, and Sochaux in third with 42 points as well.
