Amad Diallo nets late winner as Ivory Coast fight back to stun France ahead of World Cup

[p]Didier Deschamps was taking charge of his penultimate match on French soil, with this the first of two warm-up matches for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]Les Bleus[/a] before flying out to North America. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] led the line in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nantes/veuetnGG/"]Nantes[/a] and was looking to equal [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/giroud-olivier/AJPBp2as/"]Olivier Giroud[/a]’s all-time goalscoring record.[/p][p]He almost managed that inside the opening 10 minutes, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fofana-yahia/rqDavwpd/"]Yahia Fofana[/a]’s outstretched arm pushed away the home skipper’s close-range effort. It looked to be only a matter of time until FIFA’s No. 1-ranked side broke the deadlock, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rabiot-adrien/l08EAP2Q/"]Adrien Rabiot[/a]’s long-range strike flew narrowly over the target.[/p][p]The hosts were certainly in the mood to put on a show, with Fofana called into action to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a] following a lovely free-flowing move.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="3862cf7b-c3c7-4d70-9a84-5cff15d01042" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="23afe736-4e85-4c14-b55b-bcef94ce39cb" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] were struggling to make inroads themselves at the end of the pitch, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fofana-seko/f5FGGqhC/"]Seko Fofana[/a] managed to pick out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adingra-simon/6kgBNHG6/"]Simon Adingra[/a] in the box for a header which sailed over the bar.[/p][p]Adingra then had another opportunity when he intercepted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tchouameni-aurelien/QkiZum3e/"]Aurélien Tchouameni[/a] before forcing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maignan-mike/S6gN2QNC/"]Mike Maignan[/a] into a fine save, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherki-mathis/vm0eu2V3/"]Rayan Cherki[/a] struck the opener on the stroke of half time.[/p][p][b]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] midfielder effortlessly weaved his way through Les Elephants’ defence and dispatched a clinical finish past Fofana.[/b][/p][image alt="France celebrate Cherki's opener" id="40fa9abc-5f2a-4c00-9dfc-2a8b05ae56c4" credit-line="REUTERS / Gonzalo Fuentes" guid="db7e30f4-26f7-4c5d-a0a0-73e462b108fc" original-width="1845" original-height="1183" /][p]Mbappe would have to wait at least one more game to equal Giroud’s record after being taken off in one of five French changes at half time, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe-nicolas/j3Hk0qEj/"]Nicolas Pepe[/a] entered the fray as one of two alterations for the Ivory Coast.[/p][p][b]Pepe claimed an assist just eight minutes into the second half, playing a perfectly-weighted through ball for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-guela/vg3drc4E/"]Guela Doue[/a] to latch onto and fire home past Maignan, with UEFA Champions League-winning younger brother [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-desire/KIUWH2Jq/"]Desire Doue[/a] watching on from the France bench. [/b][/p][image alt="Doue celebrates his goal" id="41aa499e-9242-461d-9501-372fe3f06c5a" credit-line="Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP" guid="d3b652e0-68a9-4c12-83b7-c61065d326df" original-width="2565" original-height="1710" /][p][b]The night then got even better for Emerse Fae’s side in the 84th minute, when Doue provided the assist for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/traore-amad/I5Rhq1WL/"]Amad Diallo[/a] to convert a brilliant first-time effort beyond Maignan to stun the two-time world champions.[/b][/p][p]This was a result which barely seemed possible after a largely dominant first-half performance from Deschamps’ men, who were left to rue several missed opportunities before the break. [/p][p]They will look to recover quickly when they host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/northern-ireland/lQADNSWu/"]Northern Ireland[/a] in their final World Cup warm-up on Monday, while Ivory Coast can now dream of inflicting further upsets when they travel to North America.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-guela/vg3drc4E/"]Guela Doue[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/france-QkGeVG1n/ivory-coast-G2FRjBgn/?mid=Aat1lJu0"]See a summary of the match here[/a][/b][/p]