Ivory Coast secured a historic 2-1 victory over France in a pre-World Cup friendly in Nantes on Thursday. The result marked the first time Ivory Coast have beaten France at senior level.
France took the lead just before half-time through Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki, who weaved past defenders before finishing past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Kylian Mbappe had earlier been denied by Fofana in a chance that would have equalled Olivier Giroud's France goalscoring record. Ivory Coast equalised eight minutes after the break when Guela Doue finished confidently after a pass from Nicolas Pepe. The visitors then completed the turnaround in the 84th minute as Amad Diallo swept home a first-time finish from Doue's assist. Didier Deschamps made five changes at half-time, including withdrawing Mbappe, but the alterations failed to maintain France's first-half dominance. The defeat exposed defensive issues for the hosts ahead of the World Cup in North America. Emerse Fae's Ivory Coast side gained a significant boost from the win during their own World Cup preparations.
