France vs. Cameroon: Full preview

 

France face Cameroon on today Monday at Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France, in their penultimate international friendly ahead of the 2016 UEFA European Championship starting June 10th.

As hosts of the tournament, manager Didier Deschamps' side have been granted automatic qualification, meaning their preparations for Euro 2016 have been unique in comparison to the other 23 nations participating in the competition.

Cameroon, meanwhile, face Mauritania in an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on June 3rd. The Group M table-toppers played their last match—a 0-0 draw with South Africa—in late March.

Here are the viewing details and a closer look at what to expect from these two sides:

Per Soccerway, the teams have previously met on two occasions in their history in 2000 and 2003. The sides drew 1-1 in their first meeting before Thierry Henry struck an extra-time winner in a 1-0 victory in the Confederations Cup.

France will be without a cluster of key personnel in defence for the upcoming friendly and beyond, with Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu the latest international unavailable because of a calf injury. Lyon's Samuel Umtiti has replaced the versatile centre-back in the squad.

France confirmed the call-up on social media (via French football writer Mohammed Ali):

Real Madrid centre-half Raphael Varane had already been ruled out of the squad because of a calf problem, and Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho will not be called up to the final 23 despite his UEFA-imposed provisional drugs ban coming to an end, as noted by Mark Dobson of the Guardian.

Meanwhile, Les Bleus head coach Deschamps has been accused of racism by former Manchester United striker Eric Cantona in the buildup to the friendly due to his squad selection.