France suffer surprise 2-1 defeat by Ivory Coast in World Cup warm-up
France manager Didier Deschamps has warned his players against complacency after they surrendered a first-half lead to suffer a surprise 2-1 defeat by Ivory Coast in a World Cup warm-up match in Nantes.
The two-time global champions initially took control of the friendly fixture through a superb opening strike from attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki.
However, an experimental French lineup was heavily punished after the interval as goals from Guela Doue and Amad Diallo secured a memorable comeback victory for the Elephants.
Preparation phase, not panic
Les Bleus rested several key Paris St-Germain stars following their recent Champions League final triumph, resulting in a heavily rotated starting XI that lost its rhythm in the second half.
Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni insisted the unexpected result should not derail the squad’s confidence as they build towards their tournament opener against Senegal in New York on 16 June.
“It’s a pity to lose but we’re in a preparation phase, we stay confident,” said Tchouameni.
“There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready.”
Defender Lucas Hernandez echoed those sentiments, pointing to the high volume of second-half substitutions as a disruptive factor in their overall performance.
Deschamps demands focus
Despite the reassurances from his senior players, the national team boss acknowledged that his side lost control against opponents possessing similar physical traits to their upcoming group stage rivals.
“A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in the first half,” Deschamps explained.
“In the second half we made a lot of changes but that’s no excuse. We were not as good after the break and they brought a lot of pace.”
The 55-year-old manager views the setback as a timely reality check for a squad widely tipped as heavy favourites to lift the trophy in North America.
“It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are,” he added.
Goalscorer Cherki firmly agreed with his manager’s assessment, ensuring fans that the European heavyweights will not travel to the United States expecting an easy route to glory.
“It’s a little warning, and I can tell you we’re not going to the World Cup thinking we’re favourites but we’re going to crush everyone,” the attacking midfielder concluded.