Ukraine national team’s attacking defender Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk shared his thoughts on the squad’s performance in their first friendly match against Angola, which ended 92-93. Mykhailiuk himself played 16 minutes and scored 22 points.
“We needed this game to assess where we stand as a team and identify areas that require improvement. The coach could observe how players interact on the court and which lineups work best together.
Of course, winning is always the goal, but the main objective was to learn how to play cohesively and recognize our strengths and weaknesses. In this match, we lost the battle on the boards and committed too many turnovers in the final stages—these are two key factors that determine outcomes at any level.
I felt good on the court. These practice games will help me find my playing rhythm. It’s always a pleasure to represent the national team, and I come whenever I have the chance. We have important games ahead, and I want to help the team advance through qualification.
Against Georgia, we need to perform better than we did against Angola. We have to play our style of basketball. There’s still time to prepare, including before the Lithuania game. We’ll review the footage from the friendlies and decide how we need to approach the matches.”
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