France lost to Ivory Coast; Deschamps believes the squad lacks cohesion.

France, nicknamed the "Les Bleus," took the lead in a friendly match thanks to a first-half goal from Layenne Sergiu, but conceded two goals in the second half, ultimately losing 1-2 to Ivory Coast. Coach Didier Deschamps stated after the match that the defeat served as a wake-up call for the team, and that he believes the current squad lacks the necessary cohesion.

In the 45th minute, Rajen Serki received a pass from Olise and unleashed a long-range shot, which was saved by Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahya Fofana. Shortly after, Konaté passed the ball in a scramble, and Rajen Serki received it, dribbled past the defense, and fired a shot into the net, giving France a 1-0 lead.

In the 53rd minute of the second half, Nicola Pepe made a through pass, and Guerra Dué received the ball and entered the penalty area to score, helping Ivory Coast equalize the score at 1-1.

With Guerra Douai assisting Diallo to score in the 84th minute, France ultimately lost 1-2 to Ivory Coast in this friendly match.

In their next friendly match, France will face Northern Ireland, while in the first round of Group I matches at the 2026 World Cup, France will play against Senegal.

France coach Didier Deschamps said, "It was a loss, so it's not a pleasant feeling no matter what. Although we played some good games, especially in the first half. In the second half, we encountered more difficulties, and the frequent substitutions obviously didn't help. We will face a similarly strong opponent in the World Cup group stage against Senegal."

“We have no excuses. African teams always show great fighting spirit when they face France. It’s important to give all players playing time, and while the squad is now complete, not all players got a chance to play today.”

Deschamps continued, "This is a good reminder not to overestimate your abilities or abilities. I don't want to overemphasize it, after all, it was just a friendly match. There were some mistakes in the game, and there are differences in form and level between different players."

“I made 10 personnel changes, which resulted in a lack of cohesion within the team. We were a step behind in several aspects, especially evident in the second goal we conceded.”

Image source: Internet