Paris (AFP) - Corsican minnows Gazelec Ajaccio won promotion to the French Ligue 1 for the first time in their history on Friday.

A double from Congolese striker John Tshibumbu helped the club to a 3-2 win over Niort in Ligue 2 which sealed their fourth promotion from a lower league in five years.

It is a huge exploit for the club who were plying their trade in the third division last season with a budget of just 4.5 million euros ($5.1m).

To host their big-name top flight rivals next season the club's 2,885-seater Ange-Casanova Stadium will be extended to 5,000 this summer.

Their budget for next season, estimated at 12 million euros, will however be two-times less than their Corsican rivals Bastia, and 40 times less than big-spending champions Paris Saint-Germain.