Ivory Coast surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to France early Friday to crush out of the 2011 Fifa U-17 World Cup.

French players celebrate feat as Ivorians lay in dejection

Two goals on any day should be enough to win a football match but the Young Elephants inability to defend well proved to be their achilles hill with their thrilling 3-3 draw against Brazil in their final group game serving enough caution.

Early strikes from inform Souleymane Coulibaly who by the way is all but certain to grab the top scorer award with nine goals in four games and Diarrassouba gave a wrong impression of a stroll in the park for the remaining African team in the tournament.

However an impetus goal from the penalty spot before the end of the first half by Yassine Benzia.

After an even first 20 minutes in the second half, Benzia became the hero of the French attack, first playing a vital part in France’s equaliser.

His piercing pass found space behind the defence of Les Elephanteux, and Lenny Nangis exhibited a tremendous burst of pace to run onto it in the left side of the box. He also showed strength and a powerful shot to hold off two defenders and blast the ball past the keeper.

Benzia switched back to scorer from provider in the 74th minute, and this time there was no question about the quality as he gathered the ball at the end of some loose play and snapped a 25-yard shot past the diving goalkeeper. The dramatic winner gives him five goals in four matches, and he is the second-top scorer in Mexico behind Coulibaly.

In the final 10 minutes, the tiring Africans pushed forward as best they could and the match opened up at both ends.

Jean-Eudes Aholou’s long-range effort screamed past the bar from a tight angle in the 80th minute and shortly after Ibrahim Coulibaly ran strongly into the French box only to be let down by his final touch when he seemed likely to test the keeper.

Things got even more harried after Nangis was sent off in the 86th minute for a second yellow card, but Côte d’Ivoire‘s Guy Bedi was unable to convert a good chance from the middle of the area in the dying seconds as their hopes drifted away.

This tournament has been one of the poorest showings by African teams with all (Congo, Burkina Faso and Rwanda) but one (Ivory Coast) leaving the competition at the end of the first round.