Ivory Coast beat France 2-1 at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, handing D. Deschamps a home defeat during France’s World Cup preparations. D. Belmadi’s team soaked up France’s 60 percent possession and still found a decisive edge through Guéla Doué and Amad Diallo after Rayan Cherki had put the hosts in front.
Deschamps kept faith with a back four of Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernández behind Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot, with Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Thuram supporting Kylian Mbappé. France controlled territory early, Olise linked play on the right and Cherki drifted between the lines. The payoff came in the 45th minute when Konaté carried out from the back and released Cherki, who scored to give France the lead. Franck Kessié collected a yellow card in the first minute of stoppage time as the visitors’ frustration grew.
Belmadi refreshed his attack at half-time by sending on Amad Diallo and Nicolas Pépé, while Deschamps made five changes of his own, introducing Jean Philippe Mateta, N’Golo Kanté, Maghnes Akliouche, Lucas Digne and Maxence Lacroix for Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Olise, Theo Hernández and Upamecano. The shift unsettled France’s rhythm and Ivory Coast equalised in the 53rd minute when Pépé delivered from the right and Doué, pushing inside from full-back, applied the finish.
France kept pressing but their reshaped XI lacked the combinations that had stretched Ivory Coast before the break. Deschamps added Malo Gusto, Manu Koné and Lucas Hernández in the 66th and 67th minutes to regain control, yet Belmadi’s wave of changes between the 67th and 68th minutes—Bazoumana Touré, Ibrahim Sangaré, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Christopher Operi and Christ Inao Oulaï—provided fresh energy. Doué continued to surge forward and, in the 84th minute, his overlap broke France’s last line before he crossed for Diallo to convert the winner.
Doué was the outstanding figure with a goal, an assist, six duels won and two dribbles completed from right-back. Pépé’s half-time introduction gave Ivory Coast a direct outlet that tested Digne, while Diallo’s movement dragged Lucas Hernández into awkward positions. For France, Cherki remained the primary creative spark until his withdrawal in the 78th minute for Warren Zaïre-Emery, but the substitutes could not match the starters’ fluency. Mateta and Thuram passed up presentable chances, and Yahia Fofana protected the lead with five saves from France’s six shots on target.
Key statistics:
- Possession: France 60 percent, Ivory Coast 40 percent
- Shots on target: France 6, Ivory Coast 3
- Total shots: France 15, Ivory Coast 7
- Corners: France 8, Ivory Coast 2
For Deschamps the lesson is clear: wholesale rotation at half-time dismantled the structure that had controlled the opening period, and France’s depth options must recalibrate quickly before the next friendly in this window. Belmadi, meanwhile, has a signature win to build on ahead of the autumn qualifiers, proof that his bench options can flip elite opposition away from Abidjan. More international friendly coverage: Mexico vs Serbia.
