Internationals | Copa America warm-ups begin for Wolves trio

4th June 2024

The Wolves trio of Joao Gomes, Yerson Mosquera and Dexter Lembikisa are starting their preparations for summer’s Copa America, which is due to get underway later this month.

After earning his first cap for Brazil in the March international break, Gomes has been selected by his country for the upcoming Copa America taking place in the United States from 20^th June to 14^th July.

Before the tournament gets underway – with Brazil in a group with Costa Rica, Paraguay and Mosquera’s Colombia – the midfielder could be involved in a couple of friendly warm-up fixtures, as Selecao take on Mexico in Texas on Sunday (9^th June) before facing the USA in Orlando on 13^th June.

Mosquera will hope to continue the impressive form he showed on his loan spell in La Liga during the second half of last season with Villarreal as the defender has once again been selected to be part of the Colombia team.

Ahead of joining Gomes in Copa America Group D, Mosquera and Colombia face friendlies against the USA in Maryland on Saturday (8^th June) and Bolivia in Connecticut on 15^th June.

Yerson Mosquera training with Colombia 🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/6f4msWLF4F
— Wolves (@Wolves) June 3, 2024

Following his loan at Scottish Premiership side Hearts coming to an end, Wolves Academy graduate Lembikisa has joined up with Jamaica ahead of their Copa America campaign this summer.

In Group B alongside Mexico, Ecuador and Venezuela, Jamaica could also give Lembikisa his 17^th international cap in their World Cup qualifiers against Dominican Republic in Kingston on Friday (7^th June) and Dominica on Sunday.

Santiago Bueno could yet make it four Wolves players at Copa America, but Uruguay are yet to announce their final squad for this summer’s competition – although the defender was not part of the 16-strong selection for the warm-up friendly with Mexico on Wednesday (5^th June).

Several other Wolves players will also be hoping to represent their countries this month, either during 2026 World Cup qualification, in friendlies or at the Olympic games.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is back with Algeria as they begin their World Cup qualification campaign against Guinea in Algiers on Thursday (6^th June) before taking on Uganda on Monday (10^th June), while both Mario and Noha Lemina are part of the Gabon squad for their qualification games.

Mario will be hoping to add to his 29 caps, while younger brother Noha has been called up by Gabon for the first time having represented France at youth level previously and could make his senior international debut against either Ivory Coast on Friday or Gambia next Tuesday (11^th June).

Another player who could make their senior international debut this week is academy graduate Tawanda Chirewa who has been selected for Zimbabwe. The winger will be aiming to earn his first cap against Lesotho on Friday or against South Africa next Tuesday – with both games taking place in South Africa.

Currently top of AFC World Cup qualifying Group C, Hee Chan Hwang and South Korea will be looking to add another six points this week, as his country face Singapore away on Thursday before returning to Seoul next Tuesday to take on China.

Three European members of Gary O’Neil’s team have been selected for senior international friendlies in June, with Matt Doherty in the Republic of Ireland’s squad for games with Hungary this evening and against Portugal next Tuesday, Tom King is with Wales for their fixtures with Gibraltar on Thursday and Slovakia on Sunday, while Hugo Bueno played the second half of Galicia's 2-0 defeat to Panama on Friday.

Matt Doherty training with Ireland 🇮🇪

Up first: Hungary at Aviva Stadium on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/efic8fdKLT
— Wolves (@Wolves) June 1, 2024

Enso Gonzalez and Boubacar Traore could go head-to-head in the Summer Olympic Games group stages this July after the pair were called up by their under-23 teams.

Gonzalez is with Paraguay as they face two warm-up matches against Argentina on Saturday and Tuesday before heading to Bayonne to take on France on 4^th July ahead of the Olympic group stages getting underway.

Traore and Mali – one of the favourites to take home the gold medal next month – are preparing for the competition with two friendly matches against Uzbekistan on Friday and Monday. Paraguay and Mali are in the same group in Paris, with both countries taking on Israel and Japan before they face each other in the final group game on 30^th July at Parc de Princes.

Joe Hodge is expected to wear the captain’s armband as Ireland under-21s face a pair of friendlies in Croatia, taking on the hosts on Friday before facing England next Tuesday.

Finally, as previously announced, Pedro Neto, Jose Sa and Nelson Semedo are part of the Portugal squad at Euro 2024, with the trio also preparing for three warm-up friendlies this week, firstly facing Finland at 7.45pm this evening, before hosting Croatia on Saturday and Doherty’s Ireland next Tuesday.

Portugal | Neto, Sa, Semedo