France vs. Ivory Coast: Date, Time, TV Info and Live Stream for Friendly

With the serious business of FIFA World Cup qualifying on hold for now for European sides, the international stage will play host to some glamorous friendlies this week. France will host African champions Ivory Coast at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens in one of the best on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps' side come into this one on the back of an impressive win over Sweden in qualifying, with goals from Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet securing a 2-1 triumph. The Ivory Coast tussled with Morocco on Saturday in their own World Cup qualifier, notching a respectable 0-0 draw.

With different types of challenges to come for both sides in the weeks ahead, this game will be a chance to experiment and should make for a fascinating 90 minutes.

Here are the key viewing details for the match and a closer look at what to expect in Lens:

Date: Tuesday, November 15

Time: 8 p.m. (GMT), 9 p.m. (Local), 3 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: ESPN 3 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Watch ESPN (U.S.)

Ivory Coast to Kick-Start Africa Cup of Nations Preparation

Ivory Coast boss Michel Dussuyer wouldn’t have placed too much focus on the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, with Saturday’s showdown with Morocco a key game. However, with that match completed, attention will turn to the defence of their continental title.

ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images

That makes this match an important one for Dussuyer and his players. After all, the Elephants squad is much-changed from the one that triumphed two years ago, while the manager himself will also lead the team into the tournament for the first time, looking to replicate the work that Herve Renard did when he was the Ivory Coast boss.

There are plenty of emerging players worth keeping a close eye on; Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia is one, and they may have another threatening forward player to call upon soon, according to BBC Sport’s Oluwashina Okeleji:

As for France, they can approach this game safe in the knowledge that they fared well with the pressure on Friday. After all, having fallen 1-0 down to Sweden, Les Bleus battled back brilliantly, with Payet and Pogba leading the charge to an important three points.

While they failed to get over the line at the 2016 UEFA European Championship, it’s been a prosperous year for the French, as these numbers from OptaJean suggest:

Those who attend the clash in Lens will hope to see Deschamps name a strong XI bristling with superstars. However, with domestic action to begin again this weekend, managers across Europe will be watching on nervously.

Indeed, the France Twitter feed (h/t Jonathan Johnson) has confirmed that Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann will miss the contest with a foot problem.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told beIN Sports he doesn’t want to see star defender Laurent Koscielny involved (h/t Alex Martin of MailOnline). 

“I can't see the purpose of Koscielny playing the second game,” the Gunners boss said, noting the upcoming clashes with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Frederic Stevens/Getty Images

One man who continues to thrive in the national team is Payet, as he scored the winner against Sweden last time out.

He has become a key part of the France side, and as we can see courtesy of Squawka Football, the West Ham United man has struck up a tremendous understanding with Pogba:

Ivory Coast may take this game a little more seriously given they have a clutch of competitive matches on the horizon. While they won’t come up against an opponent as classy as France in the Cup of Nations, Dussuyer will want to assess how his players fare in this high-pressure environment.

Even so, this will be a huge challenge for the African champions, as France have plenty of depth in their squad. Deschamps may decide to field a different XI to the one that tackled Sweden on Friday, but they’ll still have enough to secure a victory.

Prediction: France 2-1 Ivory Coast