From the first whistle, Colombia proved a handful, with a direct Luis Diaz causing frequent problems for the French backline. The South Americans carved out several openings, forcing Brice Samba into a series of crucial early saves to keep the scores level.

Gradually, 'Les Bleus' asserted their authority on the contest. Doue caught the eye with a sequence of mesmerizing runs, while Akliouche was left frustrated after failing to convert a clear-cut opportunity during a dominant French spell.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 29th minute. Cherki picked out Marcus Thuram inside the area, who unselfishly cushioned the ball for Desire Doue; his deflected effort wrong-footed the keeper to ensure Francia opened the scoring (0-1, 29th minute).

France maintained the pressure and doubled their advantage shortly before the interval. Akliouche turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross from the right flank for Marcus Thuram to power home a header, making it 2-0 to 'Les Bleus' in the 41st minute.

On the stroke of half-time, Colombia searched for a lifeline, only to be thwarted by a trademark recovery tackle from Kante on James Rodriguez, ensuring the French lead remained intact at the break.

The French momentum continued immediately after the restart. A relentless high press from Akliouche sparked a slick combination between Cherki and Thuram, with the latter finding Doue on the opposite flank. The youngster finished with aplomb to bag his brace and extend the lead to 3-0 in the 56th minute.

Refusing to buckle, Colombia eventually found a way through. Johan Campaz struck a magnificent left-footed effort in the 77th minute that left Samba with no chance, reducing the deficit to 3-1.

The late introductions of Kylian Mbappe and Olise injected fresh impetus into the final stages. The closing ten minutes were played at a frantic pace as both sides traded blows in an end-to-end finale.

Mbappe thought he had notched his 57th international goal to draw level with Olivier Giroud's all-time record for 'Les Bleus', only for his injury-time strike to be agonisingly chalked off for offside.

Colombia continued to push for a second, but the French rearguard and Samba held firm under pressure, while Ekitike went close to adding a fourth on the counter-attack in the dying moments.

Following a breathless conclusion, France emerged as 3-1 victors. Driven by the brilliance of Desire Doue and a cohesive collective performance, the side showed plenty of promise for the challenges ahead.

Désiré Doué

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