USMNT U-23’s to face Guinea in pre-Olympic friendly

The U.S. Under-23 men’s national team’s March schedule is officially set.

Guinea will oppose Marko Mitrovic’s squad on March 22 in Olot, Spain, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday. The match will come three days before the Americans also face Thierry Henry’s France squad on March 25 in Montbéliard.

Both matches are pre-Olympic friendlies for the USMNT U-23’s ahead of their first tournament involvement this summer since 2008.

“Ahead of the Olympics, it’s important for us to prepare ourselves against a variety of elite opponents,” said Mitrović. “As one of the best teams in Africa, Guinea will provide a unique challenge and we could very well see them at the Olympics this summer. After the March international window, we’ll have faced teams from four different continents, getting our players experience against opponents at the highest level in this age group from every corner of the globe.”

The USMNT U-23’s have played four matches in Olympic preparation, facing off with Mexico, Japan, Iraq, and Morocco. They have posted a 2-1-1 record dating back to October 2023, which has featured plenty of American talent from the U.S. and abroad.

Guinea will use this friendly as preparation for its inter-confederation playoff later this year for the 16th and final Olympic berth. The National Elephants finished fourth at the 2023 AFC U-23 Africa Cup of Nations to secure their playoff spot, falling to Mali in the third place match.

It would mark Guinea’s second-ever Olympic appearance all-time.