Olivier Mbaizo’s Cameroon starts its final World Cup qualifying playoff series | Soccer on TV

Note to readers: Our preview of Sunday’s Concacaf World Cup qualifiers will be in a separate piece.

Friday, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

If Olivier Mbaizo is to become the first Union player to play in a World Cup while a member of the club, his Cameroon has to get there first. Though Mbaizo didn’t play much in the Africa Cup of Nations, he’s on the squad for the two-game playoff series against Algeria in this FIFA window.

All three of Cameroon’s attacking stars are there to lead the way: Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Karl Toko Ekambi. Algeria is led by Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and AC Milan’s Ismaël Bennacer, and former Union goalkeeper Raïs M’Bolhi continues to be the starter in net.

» READ MORE: The rest of the African World Cup qualifying playoff schedule

Friday, 4 p.m. (ESPN2, TUDN)

This game is just a friendly, but it will be full of stars. France’s roster includes Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid) and Olivier Giroud (AC Milan). Ivory Coast has Franck Kessié (AC Milan), Nicolas Pépé (Arsenal) and Sébastien Haller (Ajax).

The atmosphere will also be worth tuning in for, as the game will be played at Marseille’s always-raucous Vélodrome. Expect a bipartisan and festive crowd.

Friday, 7:30 p.m. (Paramount+)

After a disappointing 2-0 loss at Orlando in its Challenge Cup opener, Gotham visits Trinity Rodman, Kelley O’Hara and the rest of the reigning NWSL champions.

Friday, 8 p.m. (MLSNextPro.com)

The new MLS Next Pro league is meant to be a proving ground for the reserve squads of Major League Soccer’s clubs. But for two teams involved, it will be more than that.

St. Louis, a city with over a century of American soccer history, has entered its “second team” in MLS Next Pro before it officially arrives in MLS next year. The hometown of Josh Sargent, Frank Borghi and Harry Keough has sold out this game, which will be played at St. Louis University’s Hermann Stadium. Fans have bought over 60,000 ticket deposits for when the MLS team kicks off.

Rochester is another grand old American soccer hotbed, with a new team — the only independent team in MLS Next Pro — that’s part-owned by English soccer star Jamie Vardy. The former Rhinos remain the last team from outside MLS to win the U.S. Open Cup, back in 1999, and the team drew big crowds for years. Rochester also has a long history as a women’s soccer hotbed, including being Abby Wambach’s hometown.

It will be great to see these cities back in the American soccer spotlight.

Saturday, 4 p.m. (Paramount+)

A clash between Angel City’s Christen Press and the Reign’s Rose Lavelle will have plenty of soccer fans tuning in for this NWSL Challenge Cup game.

Saturday, 5 p.m. (UniMás, TUDN, twitter.com/mls)

A few MLS teams are playing through the FIFA window to avoid schedule congestion later in the year. One of the games on deck is the first Queen City Derby in MLS — both Charlotte and Cincinnati carry that nickname.

All three MLS games taking place this weekend are on national TV. Sporting Kansas City hosts Real Salt Lake later Saturday (7 p.m., TUDN), and the Portland Timbers host Orlando City on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN, ESPN Deportes).

Sunday, 10 p.m. (Paramount+)

Pro women’s soccer returns to San Diego for the first time since the WUSA’s San Diego Spirit folded in 2003, and it will do so with a bang. Sporting director Jill Ellis and manager Casey Stoney have put together a terrific squad, and the Wave showed it with a 1-1 tie at Angel City in their Challenge Cup opener.

Now Alex Morgan, Abby Dahlkemper and Sofia Jakobsson get to welcome the NWSL’s biggest team of all, led by Sophia Smith and Christine Sinclair.