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Emerse Faé deserves a lot of credit because he pulled off a nice surprise in his hometown. The Ivorian manager, born in Nantes, France, led the team he once represented as a player to one of the biggest shocks in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup by beating tournament favorites France.
But Thursday’s result now raises concerns about France’s scoring efficiency and its killer instinct to put away a winnable match. It also now highlights an Ivory Coast team that could now be one of the potential dark horses of the tournament.
The defining story of this match was how Ivory Coast turned the tide of the match and improved in the second half, largely thanks to the contributions of French-born players Guéla Doué (whose brother Désiré Doué plays for France) and Nicolas Pépé. Then it was Guéla who assisted Amad Diallo on the winner.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Waste in France is a concern
France controlled the match in Nantes from the start but could not put the match away. It was not until Rayan Cherki’s goal in the 45th minute that the Blues found the back of the net.
French coach Didier Deschamps made the obvious decision not to start players who recently won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, notably Ousmane Dembélé. This still left impressive qualities such as Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaire-Emery, Désiré Doué and Lucas Hernández on the bench. Despite this, France was able to launch a top-notch attack including Kylian Mbappé, Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise.
Ivory Coast did well enough to keep the match scoreless at 0-0 for as long as they did and actually had a chance to score first when Simon Adingra took advantage of an error by Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni to take on goalkeeper Mike Maignan, only to see the AC Milan man make the save.
Despite the first half advantage, France was wasteful throughout. Mbappé saw a great opportunity saved by Yahia Fofana in the first minutes. Thuram and Olise also failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities in the first half.
Mbappé was particularly guilty. The Real Madrid star is just one goal behind Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time top scorer, but he has been criticized for his ineffective finishing and missed chances close to goal. This match, played in front of home fans, will only increase these concerns.
Ultimately, their inability to put the game away in the first half sunk them. Where France was wasteful, Ivory Coast were clinical as the team equalized in the 53rd minute when Guéla Doué sent in alone at Maignan with a perfect pass from Pépé de Villarreal. Then, in the 84th minute, it was Doué who served Diallo with a pass from the right wing that the Manchester United striker was able to finish from the middle of the area.
At the World Cup, chances will be harder to come by and if France fail to make the most of their chances, they could have a difficult road ahead despite their immense talent.
2. Ivorian discipline is bearing fruit
At first it looked like this match was heading towards a coast for France. Deschamps’ team controlled the pace and created most of the early chances. But Ivory Coast have gained momentum and Fae now has the opportunity to lead Ivory Coast to a significant victory that should give them momentum heading into the World Cup.
Playing on the road against a World Cup favorite and trailing at halftime, Ivory Coast responded by playing brilliantly. In the end, the goals he scored were thanks to impressive individual quality with passes that crossed the French midfield and backline.
At the start, Ivory Coast might have felt frustrated or overwhelmed, but instead they maintained their determination and let their individual quality shine through.
Right back Doué was the best player on the pitch in this match. The Strasbourg winger advanced effectively in attack and managed to score a goal and an assist. Defensively, he was also very impressive in his ability to contain the French attack on his side of the field. He also earned a bit of bragging rights with the victory over his brother’s team.
3. The case of Cherki to begin with
Should Rayan Cherki start the World Cup for France? (Photo by Loïc VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images)
In a team as talented as the Blues, the internal competition for minutes in the World Cup is tough. Rayan Cherki isn’t usually considered a starter for a top-tier French team, but the Manchester City striker made an excellent case on Thursday as he was the best player on the pitch in the first half. A longtime veteran of the French youth teams and a member of the silver-medal-winning 2024 Olympic team, the Lyon native has made inroads with the full French team over the past year.
Cherki did not make his debut for the French national team until June 5, 2025, when he also scored his first goal. Shortly before halftime, he scored his second career international goal to give the hosts a 1–0 advantage.
It wasn’t just the goal, Cherki was on the ball throughout his 78 minutes and constantly found himself in dangerous spots and found his teammates on attack. He was ultimately one of the few positives on a bad day for France.
4. Ivory Coast, a dark horse?
Guéla Doué was the standout player of the match. (Photo by Loïc VENANCE / AFP via Getty Images)
Ivory Coast has been talked about as a potential sleeper team that could make a run this summer. The team has a manageable group with Ecuador, Curacao and Germany completing Group E.
But from now on, expectations will only grow. A win against Curaçao is to be expected and a result against Germany would require the same level of determination as defeating France. The match against Ecuador could be a balanced match.
What should be encouraging for Ivory Coast is that this result against France is not a typical upset where a set piece, penalty or red card ties the match. Ivory Coast scored twice from the spot with some top-notch passing and effective finishing. What this match showed is that Ivory Coast have the talent to play with the best and that the players have confidence in their abilities.
