In a hard-fought Bundesliga 2 clash at the Home Deluxe Arena on January 19, SC Paderborn succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Hertha BSC despite a late spark from Ilyas Ansah.

The visitors took control early, with Derry Scherhant delivering a stunning right-footed strike from the edge of the box in the 16th minute. Paderborn struggled to penetrate Hertha’s compact defense and fell further behind in the 69th minute when Michaël Cuisance coolly converted a penalty following a foul inside the box.

As the clock wound down, Paderborn’s attack looked to be running out of ideas. But in the 81st minute, German-Ghanaian forward Ilyas Ansah entered the fray and injected fresh energy into the side. Deep into injury time, Ansah showcased his vision and precision, threading a perfectly weighted pass to Sven Michel. Michel unleashed a brilliant left-footed strike from outside the box to bring Paderborn within touching distance.

While Ansah’s assist gave the home fans a reason to cheer, it was not enough to overturn Hertha’s lead. Paderborn will now regroup ahead of their next challenge against Darmstadt on January 26.

Ansah, who now has one goal and one assist in 18 appearances this season, continues to prove his value as a reliable impact player for Paderborn.