France vs Ivory Coast result
Ivory Coast shocked France 2-1 in Nantes on Friday night. Amad scored a late winner six minutes from time to complete the comeback. Rayan Cherki had put France ahead just before halftime, but Les Bleus collapsed after halftime changes. France now turns focus to their World Cup opener against Senegal on June 16.
First Half Summary
France started fast. Michael Olise found Kylian Mbappé early and his low shot forced a save from Yahia Fofana. Adrien Rabiot tried from distance and Olise tested Fofana again. France looked in control.
Ivory Coast sat deep like they did in 10 World Cup qualifiers without conceding. Simon Adingra gave them their first chance with a header over the bar. He then raced past Aurélien Tchouaméni and forced Mike Maignan into a good save.
France broke through in first half stoppage time. Cherki’s first shot was saved but he stayed alert. He picked up the rebound, did a step over on the right edge of the box and drilled it low past Fofana. 1-0 France at halftime.
France vs Ivory coast Turning Point
Didier Deschamps changed everything at halftime. Mbappé, Theo Hernández and three others came off. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Lucas Digne came on. The rhythm broke.
Ivory Coast pounced in the 53rd minute. Nicolas Pépé played a ball in behind. French-born Guela Doué ran onto it, clipped a right footed shot past Maignan and made it 1-1. Doué is brother of France winger Desire. That stung.
Goals and Key Moments: France vs Ivory coast
16’ – Mbappé shot saved by Fofana
45+2’ – Cherki scores after step over. France 1-0
53’ – Doué scores. Ivory Coast 1-1
84’ – Amad finishes Doué’s cross first time. Ivory Coast 2-1
Mateta found Marcus Thuram after the equalizer, but he cut inside and fired wide. France pushed but Ivory Coast defended well and hit late.
Player Performance
Man of the match: Amad. The Manchester United forward came off the bench and won it with six minutes left. He read Doué’s cross and swept it into the far corner. Ice cold.
Best performer: Rayan Cherki. The Manchester City playmaker scored and looked sharp. He created problems all night.
Weak link: France defense after subs. The back line lost shape and Doué ran through it twice.
What It Means
The France vs Ivory Coast result gives the Elephants huge confidence. They return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and face Germany in Group E next.
For France, it’s a warning. Deschamps rotated heavily but the team lost control. They host Northern Ireland in Lille on Monday before flying to New Jersey for Senegal on June 16. World Cup form looks shaky.
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