Ecuador vs. Guatemala (Friday, 12.30am)
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Ecuador will host Guatemala in a friendly on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey in preparation for the Copa America later this year.
It will be the first match of 2024 for La Tri, who defeated Chile 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier last November, while the Guatemalans lost their only match played this year, 1-0 versus Iceland.
We say: Ecuador 1-0 Guatemala
Ecuador have shown tremendous discipline defensively so far in their World Cup qualifying campaign and have done equally well in close games.
In contrast, the Guatemalans are struggling to find consistency throughout a 90-minute contest, which is why we are giving the South Americans the edge.
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Tanzania vs. Bulgaria (Friday, 1.00pm)
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Looking to bounce back from a difficult start to the calendar year, Tanzania will pit their wits against Bulgaria on Friday afternoon at Liv Bona Dea Arena during an international friendly.
The Taifa Stars were dumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations after just three matches in January, whilst the Lions are now hoping to improve on their 2023 performances.
We say: Tanzania 1-2 Bulgaria
Tanzania crashed out of AFCON at the group stage but showed the ability to compete with the likes of semi-finalist DR Congo whilst in the competition.
Bulgaria endured a fruitless 2023, but with a host of rising stars within their ranks, we are backing the Lions to start 2024 with a narrow victory.
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N. Macedonia vs. Moldova (Friday, 2.30pm)
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North Macedonia and Moldova meet in neutral Turkey for an international friendly at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya on Friday night.
Both nations have made huge strides in the 2020s after decades in the wilderness following independence, but neither will compete at Euro 2024 this summer.
We say: North Macedonia 2-0 Moldova
Moldova will do well to replicate the heroics of their squad across Euro 2024 qualifying, despite falling short, and the hosts will come into this one as comfortable favourites.
Home draws with Italy and England in the past 12 months, as well as scoring twice away to the Azzurri, suggests North Macedonia are still a threat like they were heading into Euro 2020, and they will expect to win here.
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Nigeria vs. Ghana (Friday, 4.00pm)
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Nigeria and Ghana face off in a West African derby at Stade de Marrakech on Friday.
Both nations have endured turbulence since their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, with Jose Peseiro no longer in situ for the AFCON runners-up, while Otto Addo has returned to the Black Stars dugout.
We say: Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
The spoils could be shared in Friday's derby as both sides are likely to employ caution rather than risk losing, even in a friendly.
With recent changes in both dugouts it could take time for the managers to stamp their mark on their respective teams, so we're going for a draw in this one.
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Armenia vs. Kosovo (Friday, 4.00pm)
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Aiming to put a halt to their worrying winless run, Armenia will welcome Kosovo to Vazgen Sargsyan Anvan Hanrapetakan Marzadasht on Friday night for a friendly clash.
Havakakan struggled towards the end of 2023 and will look to begin the new calendar year on a stronger foot, whilst the Dardanians are also hoping for a positive 2024.
We say: Armenia 2-1 Kosovo
Armenia have a less-than-ideal end to 2023 but should be confident of starting the new calendar year on a positive note on Friday afternoon.
Kosovo have failed to win any of their last three away matches, and we feel that run will extend to four contests against Havakakan in this one.
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Azerbaijan vs. Mongolia (Friday, 4.00pm)
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Azerbaijan will be bidding to return to winning ways when they take on Mongolia in an international friendly on Friday evening.
The hosts will enter the contest off the back of a 5-0 loss to Belgium in their final Euro 2024 qualifier, while Mongolia suffered a 1-0 defeat to Afghanistan in a first-round 2026 World Cup qualifier last October.
We say: Azerbaijan 3-0 Mongolia
This is a tough ask for Mongolia, with Azerbaijan the heavy favourites on Friday night. Both managers will make use of their squads in this match, and with the hosts having the superior quality across the board, we are expecting them to comfortably triumph in this friendly encounter.
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Norway vs. Czech Republic (Friday, 5.00pm)
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Norway welcome the Czech Republic to the Ullevaal Stadion in the capital of Oslo for an international friendly on Friday evening.
While the visitors will have their eyes on the summer's European Championships, Norway have missed out on a major tournament once again, with friendlies the only thing on their calendar over the next few months.
We say: Norway 2-1 Czech Republic
Hasek's role will be to improve the fortunes of Czechia outside of their homeland ahead of the finals in Germany, considering they have won just two of their previous 12 away matches, and this should be a good test.
Norway with Haaland and Odegaard in the ranks cannot be taken lightly, and with home backing, they will fancy their chances of extending their fine run in friendly internationals.
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Liechtenstein vs. Faroe Islands (Friday, 5.00pm)
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Liechtenstein will be bidding to end a 23-game losing run in all competitions when they take on Faroe Islands in an international friendly on Friday night.
Both teams concluded their Euro 2024 qualification campaigns last November, with Liechtenstein suffering a 1-0 loss to Luxembourg in their final match, while Faroe Islands drew 0-0 with Albania.
We say: Liechtenstein 0-2 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands have struggled for wins of late, but they are coming up against a team that have lost their last 23 matches. We are not expecting too many goals on Friday evening but believe that Faroe Islands will be able to use their superior quality to claim the victory in the international friendly.
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Senegal vs. Gabon (Friday, 7.30pm)
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Senegal look to bounce back from a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations title defence when they play Gabon in a friendly match at Stade de la Licorne on Friday.
Aliou Cisse's men suffered an early round of 16 exit at the hands of tournament hosts and eventual winners Ivory Coast, and the Lions of Teranga are back together for the first time since that loss.
We say: Senegal 2-1 Gabon
Cisse's team have more unsurprising outcomes, with their consistency not dropping in competitive or non-competitive fixtures. The same cannot be said for Gabon, whose mixed results reveal a team with oscillating performances and results when the stakes are not as high — and maybe even when they are too.
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Romania vs. N. Ireland (Friday, 7.45pm)
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Romania and Northern Ireland get their 2024 calendars underway with a friendly international in Bucharest on Friday evening.
While the hosts are continuing their preparations for Euro 2024, the visitors are looking to find some form ahead of the next UEFA Nations League campaign in September.
We say: Romania 3-1 Northern Ireland
With both teams expected to name their strongest sides for this contest, this could prove to be a tough ask for the visitors. While we envisage them having their moments and potentially getting on the scoresheet, it would be a surprise if Romania did not come through with a convincing win.
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Netherlands vs. Scotland (Friday, 7.45pm)
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Netherlands welcome Scotland to the Johan Cruijff ArenA for an international friendly fixture on Friday evening.
The two nations face off for the first time since June 2021 when they played out a 2-2 friendly draw at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal.
We say: Netherlands 3-2 Scotland
Three or more goals have been scored in eight of the last 10 international matches involving Scotland, while the Netherlands have found the net in each of their last eight fixtures, so goals could be on the cards in Amsterdam.
It remains to be seen how strong both nations will line up for this contest, but the Netherlands should ultimately have enough quality within their ranks to come away with a victory.
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Hungary vs. Turkey (Friday, 7.45pm)
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Two nations who qualified for Euro 2024 as group winners do battle in an international friendly on Friday, as Hungary play host to Turkey at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
The two teams meet for the first time since November 2020 when Hungary secured a 2-0 home victory in the UEFA Nations League.
We say: Hungary 2-2 Turkey
Both nations enter Friday's friendly in buoyant mood and in strong form, while they have also had few problems making the net ripple, so an entertaining contest could be in store, albeit depending on the lineups the two teams select.
Hungary have impressed on home soil during a period when Turkey have looked strong on the road, and considering there is little to separate these two nations, a score draw may be on the cards in Budapest.
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Albania vs. Chile (Friday, 7.45pm)
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Albania square off against Chile in an international friendly at Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma on Friday evening.
While the Red and Blacks are ranked 64th in the world by FIFA, La Roja find themselves 22 places higher up the standings in 42nd place.
We say: Albania 2-1 Chile
Chile's players will be keen to make a positive impression under new boss Gareca as they bid to avoid going four games without a win or a goal. However, Albania looked strong towards the end of 2023 and we believe they may do just enough to come out on top on Friday.
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Egypt vs. New Zealand (Friday, 8.00pm)
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Egypt host New Zealand in a FIFA Series encounter at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, keen to get off to a positive start under Hossam Hassan.
The Pharaohs appointed the Egyptian football legend as Rui Vitoria's replacement after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, and the All Whites hope to rain on the new manager's parade.
We say: Egypt 2-1 New Zealand
Egypt should have too much for their visitors, who come into this one on the back of an awful streak of results in friendly games. By contrast, the Pharaohs are near perfect in exhibition matches, giving the hosts the edge in Hassan's first game in charge.
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Mali vs. Mauritania (Friday, 8.00pm)
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Mali and Mauritania will go head to head at Stade de Marrakech on Friday evening in an international friendly match.
Both sides will take to the pitch for the first time since participating in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, as the Lions of Chinguetti will hope to extend their unbeaten run over the Eagles.
We say: Mali 1-1 Mauritania
This friendly might end in a draw. Both teams will likely play cautiously, avoiding defeat even if it's just an exhibition game. Mali's missing their star player in Bissouma which hurts their offensive power, while Mauritania have an incentive to keep their unbeaten run going.
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Spain vs. Colombia (Friday, 8.30pm)
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Spain and Colombia will continue their preparations for huge summer tournaments with a friendly encounter at West Ham United's London Stadium on Friday night.
Colombia are working towards the 2024 Copa America, which begins towards the end of June, while Spain will compete at the European Championship in Germany, opening their tournament in the middle of June.
We say: Spain 2-1 Colombia
This has all of the makings of a fantastic match, and we are expecting it to be a closely-contested affair. It is always difficult to predict exactly what will happen in friendly matches, especially between teams of this quality, but we are backing Spain to secure a narrow success on Friday night.
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> How Spain could line up against Colombia
Algeria vs. Bolivia (Friday, 9.00pm)
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Algeria will begin their road to redemption this week when they take on Bolivia in an international friendly at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Friday evening.
Both these sides will be looking forward to getting some much-needed game time under their belts ahead of their respective World Cup qualifiers later this year.
We say: Algeria 2-1 Bolivia
While Algeria have not been at their best this year, they still possess a roster packed with talent and will be looking to welcome their new manager to the side with a good performance. Bolivia will not make this easy, but we fancy the hosts to edge the result.
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Comoros vs. Uganda (Friday, 9.30pm)
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Comoros and Uganda will seek to get one over each other when they face off in an international friendly matchup at Stade de Marrakech on Friday evening.
Both teams are in good form heading into this one with Comoros unbeaten in four matches, while Uganda go in search of a third consecutive victory.
We say: Comoros 1-2 Uganda
There is little to choose between the sides heading into Friday's contest which could easily swing either way. That said, we just about back Uganda to emerge victorious at the end of the 90 minutes.
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Morocco vs. Angola (Friday, 10.00pm)
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Friday's friendly between Morocco and Angola will be held at Adrar Stadium.
Both sides participated at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations, with Walid Regragui's team underperforming while the Palancas Negras made it to the quarter-finals.
We say: Morocco 2-0 Angola
Shorn of two of their top-performing attackers at the Cup of Nations, Angola face a seemingly uphill task in Morocco without pivotal attackers offering the decisive execution to punish the Atlas Lions.
Regragui's team should win this and continue their unbeaten run in non-competitive games.
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Niger vs. Togo (Friday, 10.00pm)
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Two sides in need of a morale-boosting result go head to head on Friday evening as Niger take on Togo in a friendly matchup at the El Bachir Stadium.
Having suffered defeat in their first outings of the year, the two nations will head into the weekend in search of a pick-me-up as they look to gather some momentum before returning to the World Cup qualifiers later in June.
We say: Niger 1-1 Togo
Niger and Togo have stumbled into the new year and will be looking to return to winning ways as they prepare for their next World Cup qualifying outing. We predict both sides will cancel out each other's efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.
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Barney Corkhill
