“Germany Go Chop Am”: Fans React As Ivory Coast Beat France 2–1 in International Friendly, Video
- Ivory Coast defeated 2022 FIFA World Cup finalists France 2-1 in an international friendly on Thursday, June 4
- Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored the decisive goal as the Elephants secured their first-ever victory over Les Bleus
- The result sparked excitement among fans, with many praising the team's performance ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Ivory Coast will face Germany, Ecuador and Curacao in Group E
Three-time AFCON champions Ivory Coast stunned France with a 2-1 victory in an international friendly at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Thursday.
The Elephants secured their first-ever win over Les Bleus, providing a major boost ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Source: Getty Images
France started brightly, with captain Kylian Mbappe spearheading the attack as he looked to close in on Olivier Giroud's all-time scoring record for the national team.
Mbappe was denied by goalkeeper Yahia Fofana in the opening stages, while Adrien Rabiot and Michael Olise also came close as Didier Deschamps' side dominated possession and created the better chances.
Ivory Coast gradually grew into the contest and threatened through Simon Adingra and Seko Fofana. Mike Maignan was called into action after a defensive error gifted Adingra a clear sight of goal, per France 24.
The hosts eventually took the lead just before halftime when Rayan Cherki produced a moment of brilliance, dribbling past several defenders before finishing calmly to make it 1-0.
Ivory Coast responded strongly after the break, becoming more organised defensively while posing a threat on the counterattack.
Their determination paid off late in the game. After finding an equaliser, the Elephants completed a dramatic turnaround in the 84th minute when Guela Doue provided the assist for Amad Diallo, who fired a first-time effort beyond Maignan to seal a famous victory for the West Africans, per BBC.
Ivory Coast will face Germany, Ecuador and Curacao in Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fans react to Ivory Coast's surprise win
@Xtopherewesi said:
"Good movement from Amad to elude the defender and connect with the ball.
"Amad seems to play much better with the National team."
@JetLife_CL6 wrote:
"I know it’s a friendly but I really really hope we get these type of upsets and drama in the real tournament 🙏🏽🔥 absolute cinema."
Source: Getty Images
@danropes93 added:
"Amad is gonna p*ss me off genuinely. This is what I mean I know what he’s capable of, was unreal at Afcon, came back to Utd played half heartedly and now he’s back to the unreal Amad I know But fans want to tell me his performances for Utd 2nd half of the season is ‘his level’🤣."
@peacenationone said:
"I hope CIV has another left wing in the wings… that Toure guy was horrible.
"Other than that, CIV the only African team capable of a deep run. This squad is more talented than Senegal and Morocco."
Supercomputer predicts World Cup winner
Legit.ng previously reported that Opta’s supercomputer predicted the top five favourite countries that could win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain is the leading favourite to win their second tournament, while France, England, Argentina and Portugal make up the rest of the top five for the tournament.
Source: Legit.ng
