Diomande backs Renard’s bold changes after Cote d’Ivoire defeat by Cameroon

Cote d’Ivoire winger Yan Diomande gave a candid assessment of Herve Renard’s team selection after the 1-0 friendly defeat by Cameroon on Saturday, saying the coach had tried something different but that it had not worked.

Cameroon secured victory in the 21st meeting between the two sides when Bil Nsongo scored his first international goal just after half-time, finding the net in the 46th minute to silence the Alassane Ouattara stadium in Ebimpe.

The result was Cote d’Ivoire’s first defeat since Renard returned as head coach. Despite the match having no competitive consequences, the fixture retained its usual significance between the two “extended families”.

Renard used the opportunity to make a wholesale assessment of his squad, making 10 changes to the starting XI that had beaten Somalia 2-0.

Diomande came on at half-time and immediately posed a threat, but made no attempt to disguise his view of the performance when speaking to NCI.

“It is true that it was a friendly, but a Cote d’Ivoire-Cameroon match is always special,” he said. “We wanted to win, but the coach wanted to try something. Unfortunately, it did not work.”

The comment was delivered with unusual directness by the young Cote d’Ivoire international, who has on occasion shown that he is still developing his media skills. His words could be interpreted as a pointed reference to Renard’s decision to make so many changes.

However, Diomande’s assessment ultimately matched the explanation given by the coach himself shortly afterwards.

Renard handed Christ Tape, Kassoum Ouattara and Amadou Kone their first international appearances. Franck Kessie, Diomande and Evan Ndicka were among those who started the match on the substitutes’ bench.

The Frenchman accepted responsibility for the outcome after the final whistle.

“I take responsibility for this defeat. I wanted to rotate the team,” Renard said.

The decision was deliberate and formed part of his plan to assess the options available to him. The two-time African champion said he wanted to use the match to examine the newcomers in competitive conditions.

“I wanted to see all the new players in action in this match,” he added. “Tonight, I have learned a great deal from the performance of each player. That is why I took this risk.”

The loss is therefore unlikely to persuade Renard to abandon his approach. The friendly was designed to test his alternatives and broaden his understanding of the squad.

While the experiment did not produce a collective success against Cameroon, Diomande’s comments and Renard’s own explanation suggest it still provided the coaching staff with the information they had been seeking.