England Women will continue their return to action with an international against France next month before playing Canada at the home of Stoke City.
The Friday 9 April fixture will be played at the Stade Michel d’Ornano in Caen, with kick off at 8.10pm (BST) – marking a first trip to French soil for the team since reaching the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals. Although set to be played behind closed doors, the match will be broadcast live on BBC Four.
Interim head coach Hege Riise will lead the squad once again for what promises to be a tough encounter against a France team ranked third in the world after last month’s 6-0 defeat of Northern Ireland at St. George’s Park. It will be followed by a home match against Canada on Tuesday 13 April, with confirmation it will take place in Stoke and kick off at 7.15pm.
Hege Riise said: “I am looking forward to taking the team to play France. We all know they are one of the best in the world, but they will also recognise we are at a high level and will give them a competitive game. We have to use every opportunity to learn and improve, as individuals and as a group. With the Canada game also, this will be a great two matches and I am very happy for the players to have this opportunity.”
England have not played France since the 2018 SheBelieves Cup in the United States when the Lionesses ran out 4-1 winners in Colombus, Ohio thanks to goals from Toni Duggan, Jill Scott, Jodie Taylor and Fran Kirby. The last time the teams met in France was in October 2017, when the home side won 1-0 in Valenciennes.
The matches will be part of ongoing preparations for the home UEFA Women’s EURO next year to be played between 6-31 July 2022.
Both fixtures will be broadcast live on BBC Four with full details below.
- France v England Friday 9 April 2021 20.10 KO BST BBC Four
- England v Canada Tuesday 13 April 2021 19.15 KO BST BBC Four
