Ivory Coast stun France 2-1 in Nantes as Deschamps gets a World Cup warning
A second-half comeback from Guela Doue and Amad Diallo handed France a 2-1 defeat in their penultimate warm-up, denting Les Bleus’ build-up before the World Cup.
Jun 5, 2026
Ivory Coast handed France one of the more sobering nights of this World Cup build-up, coming from a goal down to win 2-1 in Nantes on Thursday. Rayan Cherki had put Les Bleus ahead in first-half stoppage time, but a much sharper Ivory Coast in the second half turned the game on its head through Guela Doue and Amad Diallo.
For Didier Deschamps, who is leading France into his final tournament as national coach, the result was not the send-off the Stade de la Beaujoire had in mind. His side had the ball and the chances for an hour, then watched the match slip away in the space of half an hour.
France control the first half, then fade
The pattern early on was exactly what Deschamps would have wanted. France pushed Ivory Coast back, worked the ball into the final third again and again, and finally found the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time. Cherki, given license to drift inside, struck a powerful finish in first-half added time to make it 1-0.
The numbers told the story of France’s first 45 minutes and also hinted at the problem to come. They ended the night with 15 shots but an expected goals figure of just 0.88, and not a single one of those efforts went down as a clear-cut chance. Plenty of territory, plenty of half-openings, but little that truly tested the Ivory Coast goalkeeper.
Doue and Amad turn it around
Ivory Coast came out for the second half a different team. The equaliser arrived in the 53rd minute, Nicolas Pepe sliding a pass through the France back line for Doue to finish calmly. Ibrahima Konate could not get his clearance away in time, and the visitors had the opening they had been waiting for.
From there the momentum belonged to the Elephants. Doue, having scored, then turned creator, and Amad Diallo did the rest in the 84th minute, taking the chance first time and steering it low into the bottom corner. France could not find a reply.
A warning before the real thing
This was meant to be a confidence-builder. Instead Deschamps leaves Nantes with questions about why his team’s grip loosened so badly after the break. France have one more warm-up, against Northern Ireland in Lille on Monday, to put it right before the tournament begins.
For Ivory Coast, who are sharpening up for their own summer, beating one of the World Cup favourites on their own ground is the kind of night that travels well. They were the better side when it counted, and the scoreline did not flatter them.