Facinet Conte Makes Long-Awaited YB Debut After 839 Days in Swiss Cup Win

“I am glad to be here with my teammates and to have played my first official match. I am happy,” Facinet Conte said after stepping onto the pitch.

BSC Young Boys secured a 5-0 victory over AC Taverne in the Swiss Cup on Sunday, advancing comfortably to the round of 16. While the dominant scoreline in the Ticino region secured the club’s progression, the afternoon belonged primarily to Conte, who made his long-awaited competitive debut for the Bernern.

Early Struggles Give Way to First-Half Goals

Despite the eventual five-goal margin, Young Boys stumbled through the opening minutes at the hands of the 1. Liga Classic underdogs. Taverne wasted two clear chances to take a shock lead before the Super League side found their footing. Once settled, Gerardo Seoane’s rotated side dismantled the hosts entirely before the interval.

Moritz Jenz opened the scoring in the 16th minute, quickly followed by a strike from Alvyn Sanches. Kaly Sène then added a first-half brace either side of an Edin Etoski goal, sealing the 5-0 scoreline before the referee blew for halftime. In goal, Joël Mall recorded another clean sheet for the visitors while deputizing for regular starter Marvin Keller.

839 Days of Injury Frustration

For Conte, the second half marked the end of an exhausting recovery process. Following his transfer from Bastia, the 21-year-old Guinea international suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament tear during training. Complications and subsequent setbacks pushed his rehabilitation out by months, causing him to miss more than 100 matches across 839 days.

Having finally featured in a test match against Aarau and recent U21 appearances, Conte entered the fray at halftime as Seoane rotated his squad. The young forward nearly capped his return with a goal around the hour mark, only to send a promising chance over the crossbar. “All my teammates wanted me to score a goal. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. So I’ll wait for the next game,” Conte told SRF with a smile.

Coach Seoane Assesses the Forward’s Return

Manager Gerardo Seoane praised the cautious introduction of his returning attacker, noting that the priority is rebuilding match fitness and squad integration. “It was another important step for him. He played a whole half and came to one or other scoring chance. It is important that he builds connections with his teammates,” Seoane told SRF, emphasizing that further work remains before Conte can make a sustained impact in the Super League.

Meanwhile, praise for other members of the Young Boys squad also circulated during the weekend. Türkyilmaz drew comparisons between Alvyn Sanches and talents such as Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise in remarks covered by Blick and Kicker.

Next Opponents Await in Cup and League

With the second-round hurdle cleared, Young Boys turn their attention back to domestic league action before hosting a high-profile opponent in the next stage of the knockout competition. Young Boys will face FC Basel at the Wankdorf Stadium in the Swiss Cup round of 16, with ties scheduled between December 1 and 3, 2026. Before that fixture, YB continues its Super League campaign with upcoming home matches against FC St. Gallen on Saturday at 20:30 local time, followed by a clash with FC Zürich.