News Focus
- France fall to a 2-1 defeat against Ivory Coast in Nantes
- Didier Deschamps loses his first-ever pre-tournament warm-up match as manager
- Rayan Cherki scores for France but misses a clear chance later
- Amad Diallo and Guéla Doué on target for the African champions
- Kylian Mbappé fails to find his scoring boots before the World Cup
France’s World Cup preparations ended with a shock defeat on home soil. The 2022 World Cup finalists lost 2-1 to Ivory Coast at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.
Didier Deschamps returned to his former club ground, but the evening turned sour. The France manager rested several Paris Saint-Germain stars following their Champions League final success. Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé started on the bench.
Rayan Cherki took the playmaker role. He played between Marcus Thuram on the left flank and Michael Olise on the right. Kylian Mbappé captained the side from the front.
The home team kept the ball for long periods. However, they struggled to create clear openings. Both Mbappé and Cherki wasted good chances in the first half. Ivory Coast threatened mainly when France made errors at the back. Simon Adingra stole the ball from Aurélien Tchouaméni, but goalkeeper Mike Maignan rescued the Real Madrid midfielder.
Yahia Fofana worked hard in the Ivory Coast goal. He could not prevent Cherki’s opener though. The Lyon playmaker robbed Ibrahima Konaté. He then skipped past Seko Fofana and Yan Diomandé before firing into the bottom corner.
Deschamps replaced half of his outfield players after the interval. The French team lost their rhythm and fluency. The new arrivals failed to work together effectively.
Fofana had a quiet second half. At the other end, Maignan finally conceded. Strasbourg forward Guéla Doué scored the equaliser. Konaté’s weak defending allowed the chance to develop.
France looked slow in attack and shaky at the back. The substitutes made little impact. Then Amad Diallo struck the winner. The Manchester United winger volleyed home from Guéla Doué’s cross.
This was Deschamps’ first defeat in a warm-up game as France coach. The Elephants fully deserved their victory. Many fans now wonder if the 2023 AFCON winners could spring surprises at the World Cup.
Individual performances raised concerns. Theo Hernandez started at left-back but failed to impress. Lucas Digne replaced him to little effect. Ibrahima Konaté looked uncomfortable against pace and made errors for both goals. Tchouaméni played steadily but gave the ball away dangerously once. Cherki scored yet missed a sitter later. Mbappé never found his top form and lacked connection with his fellow attackers.