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Laura Freigang (l) and Vivien Endemann
Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa
Right at the start of the Olympic Games, the German soccer players will have challenging opponents in front of them: In the preliminary round in Paris, they will play against record winners USA, Australia as well as Zambia and Morocco.
This was the result of the draw on Wednesday evening in Paris.
The selection of outgoing national coach Horst Hrubesch will then play their first game on July 25th in Marseille against the previous World Cup hosts and fourth-placed Australia.
In the second game on July 28th, the USA is the second opponent;
The game will be played again in Marseille.
The final group game will take place on July 31st in St. Etienne against the representatives from Africa - whether Zambia or Morocco will make it to German preliminary group B will not be decided until April.
A tough group caught world champions Spain.
In their Olympic debut, the title holders in Group C will first face former world champions Japan as well as Brazil and the winner of the elimination game between Nigeria and South Africa.
Tokyo Olympic champion Canada will face hosts France, New Zealand and Colombia in Group A.
In the men's tournament, hosts France will face the USA in their opening game, 40 years after their 1984 Olympic victory in Los Angeles.
Other opponents in Group A are New Zealand and the winner of a playoff between representatives from Asia and Africa.
Tournament co-favorites Argentina will face Morocco, Ukraine and an Asian team in Group B, which will be determined at the U23 Asia Cup in May.
Tokyo Olympic champions Brazil, like the German team, did not qualify.
The U21s of the German Football Association were already eliminated in the preliminary round of the European Championship, but should have reached the quarter-finals.
This means that the DFB team will be missing from the Olympic Games for the first time since 2012.
spr/dpa