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Brazil arranging England, Japan friendlies for November

SAO PAULO -- Brazil are only a few bureaucratic details away from confirming friendlies against Japan and England in November.

The Brazilian Football Confederation are in advanced negotiations for matches against Japan in the French city of Lille and days later in London against England, spokesman Vinicius Rodrigues told the Associated Press on Friday.

Brazil and Japan have already qualified for the World Cup in Russia next year.

England lead Group F of European qualifiers by five points with two games to play, and are close to securing a spot.

This week, former Arsenal midfielder and Brazil confederation executive Edu Gaspar was in London to search for pre-World Cup facilities for the Brazilians.

Coach Tite has said recently his team still needs to be tested against sides from outside South America. Since he took over in September 2016, Brazil have still to lose an official match.

Brazil play their last two South American World Cup qualifiers next month: On Oct. 5 at eliminated Bolivia in La Paz, and five days later at home against desperate Chile.

Also on Friday, Brazil women's coach Emily Lima was fired after poor results. No successor has been appointed yet.