France suffer first friendly defeat under Deschamps as Ivory Coast stun Blues in Nantes

France suffered their first friendly defeat under Didier Deschamps, beaten by Ivory Coast on Thursday evening in Nantes. After twelve years without a loss in a warm-up match, the Blues collapsed in the second half, ten days before their Euro 2024 campaign kicks off.

The evening had started well for the World Cup runners-up. Dominant in the first half, they took the lead through Rayan Cherki just before the break. But the second half told a different story: less sharp, less organized, France conceded the Ivorian equalizer before giving up a second goal late in the match.

Deschamps acknowledged the shortcomings observed after the interval, notably pointing to the impact of the numerous substitutions made during the game. “It was more difficult in the second half. The many changes didn’t help, there were fewer automatic movements than with the players who started,” he explained. The manager also praised the opposition’s intensity: “When African teams play against France, they are hyper-motivated. They brought density. We made mistakes too. We were late on the second goal in particular.”

Without seeking to downplay the defeat, Deschamps refused to overstate it. “It’s a defeat, it’s never pleasant, even if we did some good things especially in the first half,” he conceded. Before adding: “It’s a wake-up call if we needed one. I’m not going to dramatize it either, just as I wouldn’t have got carried away if we’d won. It’s a stage, it’s not necessarily positive because it’s a defeat.”

The evening also had a special dimension for the manager: La Beaujoire, where he played as a player, gave him a warm welcome. The Nantes crowd displayed several banners in his honor, wishing to pay tribute to him as his final major tournament as head of the Blues approaches.

France will return to friendly action on June 16 against Senegal, before beginning their Euro 2024 campaign.