Football
Tom Hamilton, Senior Writer 1y

England announce Japan, Norway friendlies for November

England's women's team have announced fixtures against Japan and Norway in Spain this November.

Sarina Wiegman's side are putting together a packed end to 2022 to cap off a memorable year which saw them win the European Championships in July. They face the USA and Czech Republic in October, but have added two further fixtures to their schedule.

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The matches in Spain see England face Japan on Nov. 11 and Norway on Nov. 15, with both games taking place in Murcia.

It will be England's first match against Japan since beating them in New Jersey 1-0 back in 2020 in the SheBelieves Cup.

England faced Norway in the group stages of the Euros, and came out resounding 8-0 winners. Since then, Norway have switched manager with Hege Riise now in charge. The game will see Riise and England reunite after she was put in interim charge of the Lionesses in 2021 after Phil Neville's departure. She also guided Team GB through the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

"I am really pleased we can continue to test ourselves against strong opposition, especially as we are fully focused on our preparation for the World Cup," Wiegman said. "Japan are one of the best teams in Asia and offer a different style of play to what we are used to.

"Norway had a difficult summer, however they qualified directly for the World Cup and I am confident they will bounce back. They have always proven to be a strong opponent, and the staff and players will look forward to welcoming Hege again too.

"With both teams wanting to make a good impression as they build towards a major tournament, it will be a great opportunity to see where we stand. Furthermore, I hope a change of scenery and good climate for that time of year can contribute to keeping the players fresh after what has been an exciting and at the same time intense year for all."

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