Scotland set for Ivory Coast friendly at Everton’s new stadium

Scotland will face Ivory Coast in an international friendly at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on Tuesday, with both teams sharpening their squads ahead of this summer’s World Cup finals. This fixture is the first international match at Everton’s new ground and follows recent friendlies for both nations against Asian opposition.

The Tartan Army travel south after a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Japan at Hampden Park, where Junya Ito’s late goal silenced the home crowd. Steve Clarke, reflecting on the reaction from the stands, admitted he was surprised and disappointed by the boos after the loss. “It’s just the modern way, it seems to be now if you lose a game you get booed,” Clarke said following Saturday’s match. Despite the setback, Clarke remains focused on using challenging friendlies to prepare his team for a demanding group that includes Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil.

Tuesday’s match is about more than just form. It offers a chance to fine-tune tactics against a team from the same confederation as one of Scotland’s group opponents. “We wanted to face African opposition before we play Morocco in the summer and I’m sure Côte d’Ivoire will give us a really stern test,” Clarke explained when discussing the reasoning behind the fixture.

The venue is significant. Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, which opened just over a year ago and is set to host matches during Euro 2028, welcomes its first international football fixture with this game. Although only 217 miles from Hampden Park, it officially counts as an away fixture for Scotland. For Ivory Coast, whose usual home is the Alassane Ouattara Stadium nearly 5,000 miles away in Abidjan, the arrangement is practical, with most of Emerse Fae’s squad already based in Europe or arriving from England after their previous friendly.

Ivory Coast arrive in Liverpool buoyed by a convincing 4-0 win over South Korea at Stadium MK on Saturday. Coach Emerse Fae had planned their English double-header to give his players a chance to gather outside Africa and test themselves against European opposition ahead of facing Germany in their own group stage. Only captain Franck Kessie plays his club football outside Europe among their ranks.

For Clarke and his players, Tuesday is about more than the result. The manager is expected to make significant changes, with six or seven new faces likely to come into the lineup on Merseyside. “I always try to pick difficult friendlies,” Clarke said ahead of the clash. “This is where you have to be at… if you want to get the points that are going to get you out of the group stage, you have to play to that standard.”

Scotland fans are expected to travel in strong numbers, filling much of Everton’s 52,000-capacity stadium, while many more will tune in from home. The match will be broadcast live on BBC Two and BBC Scotland, with free streaming available via BBC iPlayer for those unable to make the trip.

Both teams are using this match as crucial preparation for North America this summer, mindful of how factors like heat and altitude could affect games at the expanded world cup finals.

As Scotland look for a response after their defeat by Japan, when both sides struck the woodwork before Ito’s late winner, attention will turn to how they adapt against athletic African opposition. The last outing also saw Nathan Patterson collect his 23rd cap and Findlay Curtis make his debut off the bench in front of a restless Hampden crowd.

For fans interested in following every angle of this summer’s tournament build-up, there are several betting sites offering coverage and insights around these high-profile friendlies.

Ivory Coast’s dominant display against South Korea served notice that they arrive with momentum, while Scotland continue searching for attacking answers as they fine-tune their World Cup squad under Clarke’s watchful eye.