France dismissed concerns over their World Cup readiness following a surprise 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in a tournament warm-up match on Thursday, framing the setback as a timely reminder rather than a cause for alarm.
Didier Deschamps’s side took the lead through a superb first-half strike from Rayan Cherki, but were overrun after the break as Guela Doué and Manchester United’s Amad Diallo turned the game around for the Elephants in Nantes.
With France opening their World Cup campaign against Senegal in New York on June 16, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni insisted the result should be viewed strictly in the context of preparation.
“It’s a pity to lose, but we’re in a preparation phase; we stay confident,” Tchouaméni said. “There is no conclusion to draw from this game, even if we had won it. We will be ready.”
France fielded an experimental lineup, with several Paris Saint-Germain players rested following last weekend’s Champions League final triumph, and made wholesale changes at halftime.
Defender Lucas Hernandez also downplayed the significance of the defeat.
“We always want to win, but we’re in a phase of preparation, and there were a lot of substitutions,” Hernandez said. “We’re in good spirits.”
Deschamps, however, admitted his side lost control of the contest after an encouraging opening 45 minutes and warned that France would face opponents with similar qualities to Ivory Coast in the United States.
“A defeat is never pleasant, even if we did some good things in the first half,” Deschamps said. “In the second half we made a lot of changes, but that’s no excuse. We were not as good after the break, and they brought a lot of pace. We will face the same type of team on June 16.”
The France coach said the result could prove useful if it prevents his players from becoming complacent before the tournament.
“It’s a reminder, if we needed one, not to think we’re better than we are,” he said.
Cherki added: “It’s a little warning, and I can tell you we’re not going to the World Cup thinking we’re favourites, but we’re going to crush everyone.”