Guela Doue delivered a dramatic late impact as he struck and then supplied the decisive pass, helping Côte d’Ivoire stage a stunning 2-1 turnaround against France in a World Cup warm-up fixture in Nantes on Thursday.
Key takeaways
- Guela Doue scored for Côte d’Ivoire and also assisted the winner in the comeback win over France.
- The match ended 2-1, giving the Elephants their first-ever victory against Les Bleus.
- Rayan Cherki put France ahead early in the second half, but Côte d’Ivoire responded through Doue.
- Amad Diallo finished Doue’s cross to complete the turnaround after the interval.
- France had entered the game on a run of nine matches without defeat.
Doue’s goals and the turning point after the break
The 23-year-old Strasbourg defender—who is the elder brother of France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Désiré Doué—first cancelled out Rayan Cherki’s fine opener not long after halftime. With the contest seemingly trending back toward Les Bleus, Doue then played a key role again by providing the cross that Amad Diallo converted for the winner.
France’s lead erased as Côte d’Ivoire capitalised
France looked comfortable following an encouraging first half and were ahead thanks to Cherki’s moment of individual quality. However, Didier Deschamps’s team lost control after the restart, with Côte d’Ivoire punishing a string of defensive errors to secure the shock result.
Next fixture for France
With the warm-up campaign continuing, Les Bleus will play Northern Ireland in their final pre-World Cup friendly in Lille on Monday.
