Source: champion.com.ua
Vyacheslav Bobrov, forward of the Ukrainian men’s national basketball team, shared his thoughts on the upcoming matches in the second phase of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in an interview with “Champion.” Ukraine, coached by Ainars Bagatskis, is set to face Greece and Montenegro in this stage.
“I believe Greece will field a stronger lineup than in the previous window when they lost both games. After that, there was a significant interview with Spanoulis expressing his dissatisfaction with many players not showing up.
Of course, they will do everything possible to have Giannis Antetokounmpo join. Kostas Sloukas and Vasilios Toliopoulos might also be present. We have to prepare for any lineup and fight hard,” Bobrov said.
Tickets for the Ukraine vs. Greece match are already on sale.
Bobrov also evaluated Ukraine’s next opponent in the August window’s second game, Montenegro.
“We watched Montenegro’s last game against Romania. The Romanians fought until the end. We will also have a fighting spirit against Montenegro.
It would be good to secure at least one victory. But it’s always better to set the highest goals, give our all, and win both matches. That will bring us closer to our main objective — qualifying for the World Cup.”
Additionally, Bobrov spoke about the team’s ongoing rejuvenation process:
“As we’ve seen from our recent games, the squad is undergoing renewal. There are already many veteran players or those who, due to injuries or long travels, cannot assist the national team.
Now, Alexander Kobzystyi has joined us. We also have Mykhailo Bublyk, Danylo Shelest, and Yehor Sushkin.
Andriy Voynalovych, Illia Tyrtyshnyk, and Dmytro Skapintsev are still young. Overall, it’s a great generation.
When we were 20-year-olds coming from our age-group national teams to Mike Fratello’s senior team, we started the same way.
As we’ve seen, Kobzystyi has made good use of his minutes in recent matches. Danya Sypalo played excellently during his time on court. Maksym Klychko has helped us as well.
Yes, the team is currently going through a youth transition, but our coach also calls up experienced players who support the younger ones.”
As a reminder, on August 28, Ukraine will host Greece in a nominal home match of the second phase of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Riga, followed by an away game against Montenegro on August 31.
