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The Ivory Coast have a difficult contest ahead, as they are set to play France in the second group stage of the FIBA World Cup. The game is scheduled to take place on September 2 and will be both team's final contest of the second stage.
France will have a slight advantage due to the number of legitimate NBA players on their roster. On the other hand, the Ivory Coast currently doesn't have any NBA talent on their roster and has been making do with a team-first mentality. Since the FIBA World Cup began, the Ivory Coast has lost three of their first four games, with their only win coming against Iran on August 28.
France has won two of their four games so far, defeating Lebanon and Iran but losing to Latvia and Canada.
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France FIBA World Cup Roster
- Nicolas Batum
- Nando de Colo
- Moustapha Fall
- Evan Fournier
- Sylvain Francisco
- Rudy Gobert
- Mathias Lessort
- Frank Ntilikina
- Elie Okobo
- Yakuba Ouattara
- Terry Tarpey
- Guerschon Yabusele
Ivory Coast FIBA World Cup Roster
- Assemian Moulare
- Charles Abouo
- Bazoumana Kone
- Amidou Sidibe
- Patrick Tape
- Maxence Dadiet
- Mike Fofana
- Vafessa Fofana
- Solo Diabate
- Cedric Bah
- Nisre Zouzoua
- Jean Philippe Dally
Ivory Coast vs. France Prediction
France will be heavy favorites heading into their contest against Ivory Coast. The presence of Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert will ensure the French national team has enough offense and defense to overcome whatever the Ivory Coast can throw at them.
However, both teams have shown they're susceptible to poor stretches of play. So, if the French national team is unable to raise their game, they could find themselves falling to a shock defeat. Still, France has some high-level talent behind their two NBA guys, with multiple EuroLeague standouts residing on their roster, which is something the Ivory Coast doesn't have.
Ivory Coast vs. France: Players to watch
Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Guerschon Yabusele will all be significant impact players for the French national team on September 2. All four players have NBA experience, while Yabusele is currently playing for European powerhouse Real Madrid.
The Ivory Coast will be looking toward Jean-Philippe Dally, Patrick Tape, and Cedric Bah to help lead their offense and defense, with all three players having enjoyed some solid production throughout their time in the FIBA World Cup. Souleyman Diabate will be Ivory Coast's primary playmaker and comes into the game against France, having dished out nine assists in his last game.
