When do Linda Caicedo and Colombia play their next pre-World Cup friendly?

Linda Caicedo’s Colombia didn’t enjoy a good start to their European mini-tour, suffering a 5-2 defeat to France in Clermont-Ferrand on Friday.

Daniela Arias and Catalina Usme both scored for La Tricolor, but Delphine Cascarino and Eugenie Le Sommer each grabbed braces for the French, before Grace Geyoro rounded off a comprehensive victory for Les Bleues. It is worth noting, however, that Colombia were without key midfielder Leicy Santos.

Rome trip up next for Colombians

The defeat at Stade Gabriel Montpied was the first of two friendlies that the Colombians are scheduled to play on European soil. On Tuesday 11 April, Nelson Abadía’s side are to face Italy in Rome. “We need to double down on the things that we’ve been working on,” defender Jorelyn Carablí said. “We’ll have to be mindful of their attack and the way they work together so well as a team.”

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Tricolor preparing for World Cup campaign

Colombia’s games against France and Italy are part of their preparations for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which is to be held in Australia and New Zealand in July and August. Drawn alongside Germany, Morocco and South Korea in the group stage, the South Americans will kick off their World Cup campaign on 25 July, when they take on the Koreans at Sydney Football Stadium.

Next week’s match in the Italian capital will be Colombia’s fifth friendly of 2023. They began with a 1-1 stalemate with Costa Rica in mid-February, before beating Nigeria 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with Mexico later that month. Friday’s loss in France was the team’s first defeat of the calendar year.

Colombia’s next game - the key details: