Meknes – Cote d’Ivoire meets New Zealand at BMO Field in Toronto in the Canadian Shield’s second match on Sunday, a friendly giving both teams a chance to test themselves before World Cup qualifying games.
The two sides have never met in an official match, making their first-ever encounter.
Kick-off is set for 12:00 a.m. on 8 June (GMT+1) and fans can watch live on FOX Soccer Plus in the USA, OneSoccer and TSN in Canada, and beIN SPORTS MENA.
Cote d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae brings a strong squad, but Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and Salzburg’s Dorgelès Maho are out. Reims midfielder Mory Gbane gets his first call-up.
“This tournament will allow us to get a feel for the local conditions and test ourselves against North American and Oceanian teams, who have a different style of play,” Fae said in a pre-game interview. He added that it’s “a fantastic opportunity for our development.”
New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley recalls center-back Finn Surman, Nottingham Forest attacker Chris Wood, and goalkeeper Nik Tzanev after injury layoffs.
“We have looked to put in place a program of games so that, should we qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, we will have faced a range of opponents in the buildup and both Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine will provide a real test for us, which is exactly what we want,” Bazeley said in pre-game interview
Key match-ups feature Simon Adingra’s speed versus Finn Surman’s defensive positioning, while in midfield, Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré will look to overpower Liberato Cacace and Marko Stamenic in the midfield.
Both coaches are focusing on improving their pressing and ball transitions before real competition begins.
Predicted line-ups
Côte d’Ivoire (4-2-3-1): Yahia Fofana, Wilfried Singo, Odilon Kossounou, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Ghislain Konan; Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié; Nicolas Pépé, Mohamed Diomande, Simon Adingra, Sébastien Haller.
New Zealand (3-4-2-1): Max Crocombe, Tyler Bindon, Finn Surman, Francis de Vries; Liberato Cacace, Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Callan Elliot; Alex Garbett, Elijah Just; Chris Wood.
Predicted Score: Cote d’Ivoire 2–1 New Zealand.