International friendlies: Fixtures, match times, which African teams are playing?
With the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying stage looming, several African teams are playing international friendly games.
Sides participating in friendlies are those whose 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification bids ended early.
Headlining those teams are continental heavyweights Ivory Coast whose quest to book a place in Qatar was crushed by Cameroon.
Also after failing to impress at the Afcon finals, they are back to gather themselves as they start preparing to host the continent’s biennial competition next year.
GOAL takes you through all you need to know about the friendlies between Friday and Monday.
Fixture | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
Uganda vs Tajikistan | March 25 | 12.30hrs (SAST) |
Comoros vs Ethiopia | March 25 | 16.00hrs (SAST) |
Liechtenstein vs Cape Verde | March 25 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
South Africa vs Guinea | March 25 | 19.00hrs (SAST) |
Zambia vs Congo | March 25 | 19.00hrs (SAST) |
France vs Ivory Coast | March 25 | 22.15hrs (SAST) |
Sudan vs Central African Republic | March 26 | 15.00hrs (SAST) |
Guinea-Bissau vs Angola | March 26 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
Tanzania vs Botswana | March 26 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
Bahrain vs Burundi | March 26 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
Niger vs Libya | March 26 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
Mauritania vs Mozambique | March 26 | 21.00hrs (SAST) |
Liberia vs Sierra Leone | March 27 | 14.00hrs (SAST) |
Cape Verde vs San Marino | March 28 | 18.00hrs (SAST) |
Top picks
France vs Ivory Coast
The Elephants face current world champions France at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
This is part of preparing for their long-term goal to clinch the Afcon title on home soil in 2023.
Familiar faces like Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, Nicolas Pepe, Sebastien Haller and Max-Alain Gradel feature in the Ivory Coast squad.
South Africa vs Guinea
South Africa meet Guinea at Guldensporenstadion in Kortrijk in their first assignment since failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2022.
The West Africans are very competitive opponents and Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos would need to fine-tune his squad for challenging fixtures in future.
Guinea are back in action after an early exit from the Afcon finals in Cameroon.
All information is accurate at the time of publication.