The match took place in a special atmosphere as fans in the stadium collectively paid tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who was entering his final matches in France before concluding his more than decade-long tenure leading "Les Bleus".
Kylian Mbappé led the French national team in a friendly match in Nantes.
On the pitch, the home team France quickly demonstrated their superiority. Kylian Mbappé, who is aiming to match Olivier Giroud's goalscoring record for the French national team, constantly troubled the opposing defense. Within the first 10 minutes, the French captain had a chance to open the scoring but was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Adrien Rabiot and Michael Olise also tested the Ivorian goalkeeper but were unsuccessful.
Despite being outplayed for most of the first half, the African representatives still created some notable opportunities. Simon Adingra missed a chance from a Seko Fofana assist before he himself capitalized on a mistake by Aurélien Tchouaméni to find himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Mike Maignan. However, the French goalkeeper made a timely save.
Manchester City star Rayan Cherki scored the opening goal of the match.
With only a few minutes left in the first half, Rayan Cherki made the difference. The young Manchester City midfielder executed a skillful dribble through the visiting team's defense before unleashing a powerful shot that beat Yahia Fofana, giving France a 1-0 lead.
It seemed as though this spectacular goal would open the way to victory for the home team, but everything changed completely after halftime. Coach Didier Deschamps made five substitutions, including taking Mbappé off the field. From this point on, the French team lost control and allowed their opponents to gradually take control of the game.
Guela Doué equalized for Ivory Coast.
In the 53rd minute, Nicolas Pépé delivered a precise through pass to Guela Doué, who raced down and beat goalkeeper Maignan in a one-on-one situation, leveling the score at 1-1. The equalizer boosted Ivory Coast's confidence, while France struggled to mount effective attacks.
Tottenham Hotspur attacking Ivory Coast
The African team continued to exert pressure and were rewarded in the 84th minute. Guéla Doué continued to shine with a well-placed cross for Amad Diallo to finish with a one-touch shot into Maignan's net, completing a spectacular comeback.
Ivory Coast unexpectedly defeated powerful host nation France.
The 2-1 victory marked the first time Ivory Coast had beaten France in the history of their encounters. Conversely, this defeat has raised considerable doubts about the depth of "Les Bleus"' squad and their ability to maintain strength when key players are unavailable.
France suffers defeat ahead of World Cup.
Coach Didier Deschamps and his players will have to quickly find solutions before their final friendly match against Northern Ireland, if they don't want to carry those worries into the 2026 World Cup.
