ZIF connector latch broken and ribbon cable cannot slide in

Hi there.

I was replacing the battery for my 2017 13-inch mbp. The new battery I got didn't come with a ribbon cable, so I had to use the old one to connect the logic board and the battery.

However, the latch of the ZIF connector on the battery fell off. I still have the latch (the tiny black comb-like thing) but I'm not able to put it back. Besides, the ribbon cable won't slide into the new battery's connector (it can still go into the old battery's connector), so the fixes from other posts like using a tape won't work.

Must the ribbon cable go into the connector to work? If I tape it from the outside, can I somehow make it work as well?

Any help is appreciated!