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| Albania national team players celebrate at Air Albania stadium after scoring a goal against Bulgaria in October, 2023 |
As Albania gears up for Euro 2024, the national team is set to engage in three friendly matches, providing coach Sylvinho with the final preparation opportunities to shape the squad of 23 players who will represent the red and black in Germany.
Confirming recent speculations, Albania will play three friendlies against Algeria, South Africa, and Bolivia. The President of the Algerian Football Federation, Velid Sadi, revealed that Algeria will be the host of this international tournament, organized under the auspices of FIFA. Besides Algeria, the tournament will feature Bolivia, Albania, and South Africa.
"Algeria has had the privilege of being designated by FIFA to organize this first edition of the international tournament, which will be held under the international organization's supervision. In addition to Algeria, Bolivia, Albania, and South Africa will participate in the tournament," disclosed Algerian federation president Velid Sadi.
Sadi also unveiled the tournament dates, set to align with FIFA's international window from March 18 to March 26, falling within the holy month of Ramadan. During this FIFA window, African national teams will be present, marking the commencement of the preliminary rounds of qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Before the tournament kicks off, a draw will determine the two semifinals to be played at the "Miloud-Hadefi" stadium in Oran and the "19 Mai 1956" stadium in Annaba. The final will take place at the "Nelson Mandela" stadium in Baraki. This tournament is expected to attract key FIFA officials, possibly including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, underscoring its significance on the international football calendar.
For Albania, these friendlies against challenging opponents provide a valuable opportunity to fine-tune strategies, test combinations, and build team cohesion before their Euro 2024 campaign kicks off. As anticipation grows, football enthusiasts will be closely watching the performance of the national team as they prepare to make a mark on the international stage.