Africa's football giants gear up ahead of World Cup and AFCON - herald

AFRICA’S football heavyweights are loading their guns early. With World Cup qualifiers returning in September and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals looming at the end of the year, teams across the continent are seizing the June FIFA window to stage a flurry of friendlies—tuning up, testing new talent, and sending out strong signals.

Although no qualifying matches are scheduled for the upcoming international break, national teams are making the most of the opportunity. Member Associations are racing to arrange fixtures and maximise the rare access to their full squads.

Zimbabwe are the latest to confirm their June programme. The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) announced on Tuesday that the Warriors will travel to Morocco for two international friendlies—against Burkina Faso on 6 June and Niger on 10 June, both to be played in Casablanca.

“These matches present an important opportunity for Michael Nees and his technical team to assess player readi-ness, test combinations, and build cohesion as the team continues its journey of growth and development on the in-ternational stage. Both Burkina Faso and Niger offer strong opposition, and these encounters will provide valuable competitive experience for our squad,” said a ZIFA statement.

Niger had already confirmed their presence in Morocco for a double-header. Before facing Zimbabwe, they will take on Guinea on 6 June.

Tunisia have lined up three matches—starting with Burkina Faso on 2 June, hosting Morocco on 7 June, and con-cluding against Guinea on 10 June.

Equatorial Guinea, who on Monday confirmed coach Juan Micha’s continued tenure and strengthened his technical staff, are also Morocco-bound, with fixtures against Cameroon and Gambia in Marrakech.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo will be based in Orleans, France, and have already named their squad for two friendlies—against Mali on 5 June and Madagascar on 8 June.