testing library userEvent.selectOptions does not select option - react-testing-library

Question

I have a React component which renders a combobox (another external component) with an option. When deployed the component does work as expected.
<select class="country-select"
id="nationalityCode" name="nationalityCode" required="">
<option value="" disabled="" hidden="">Choose</option>
<optgroup label="Most used">
<option value="0052">Belgium</option>
<option value="0055">German Citizien</option>
<option value="0057">French</option>
<option value="0001">Dutch</option>
</optgroup>
<optgroup label="Alle Nationalities">
<option value="0052">Belgium</option>
<option value="0055">German Citizien</option>
<option value="0057">French</option>
<option value="0001">Dutch</option>
<option value="0050">Albanese</option>
<option value="0223">American Citizen</option>
</optgroup>
</select>
When using testing library userEvent.selectOptions, the select of an option is successfull. Only the expect fails with
Error: expect(received).toBe(expected) // Object.is equality
Expected: true
Received: false
When debugging the selection state for all options it shows that the initial selected option is selected.
if (changeValue.nationaliteit) {
const selectOption = screen.getAllByRole('option', { name: 'French' })[0];
await userEvent.selectOptions(
screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Nationaliteit' }),
selectOption
);
expect(
(screen.getAllByRole('option', { name: 'French' })[0] as HTMLOptionElement).selected
).toBe(true);
}
Using
"#testing-library/user-event": "^14.4.3",
"#testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.16.5",
"#testing-library/react": "^12.1.5",