Gope-Fenepej came off the bench in the 90th minute, replacing teammate Stéphane Darbion on the right hand side of the attack in a match which ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
It may have been only three minutes of injury time, but it was an unforgettable moment for the 24-year-old.
“I was happy to be named in the side that travelled to Lille. I went from the amateur division to Ligue 1, and even better, in a big stadium,” Gope-Fenepej says.
“I had restless legs. I really wanted to play and it went well, I’m happy. Especially since I played a massive team.”
Ahead of signing a one-year contract with Troyes at the end of June 2012, the young attacker spent two seasons at AS Magenta under the watchful eye of coach Alan Moizan who says he is pleased to see his former protégé making his professional debut.
“I’m sure there will be some more call-ups for him in Ligue 1. He has all the qualities to be a professional player,” Moizan says.
“In consultation with Georges, we established a work plan. During the first six months, he needed to double his efforts in training to integrate into the first team. Once he had taken this first step, he needed to increase his output to convince the coach Jean-Marc Furlan to put him on the team list.
“With the few minutes that he has picked up against Lille, he has complied perfectly with the plan.”
Those few minutes on the field, short as they were, also mean that Gope-Fenepej is the first New Caledonian to play in a Ligue 1 match since Christian Karembeu, whose last match was with SC Bastia in May 2008, and he’s looking forward to making it a regular occurance.
“Now I’m going to have to work to win my place. I knew the coach would play me some day or another. It was good to make my debut,” Gope-Fenepej says.
For more on New Caledonia football go to www.fedcalfoot.com

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