The Ukrainian national basketball team played its first friendly match as part of the preparation for the decisive games of the 2027 World Cup qualification. In a tense encounter, the "blue and yellows" lost to the most decorated team in Africa — the Angola national team.
Angola: Continental champions led by a Spaniard
The Angola national team is the most successful basketball team in Africa, with 12 continental championship titles to its name. Since 2021, the team has been led by Spanish specialist Josep Claros. Under his guidance, the Angolans won another continental title in 2025. Previously, during a training camp in Latvia, the team demonstrated a high level of play, defeating the Georgian national team with a score of 77:62.
Match progression: from an even fight to the clutch
The Ukrainian team took the court in a strong lineup. It included NBA player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, as well as foreign big men Dmytro Skapintsev and Maksym Klychko.
The first quarter was an even fight — the score was 22:22. At halftime, the Ukrainians went into the break with a minimal advantage — 47:45. In the third quarter, the Ukrainians managed to extend their lead to 8 points, but they could not hold it. The final quarter turned into a real clutch: with one minute left, Ukraine was ahead of the opponent by just one point. At the decisive moment, luck smiled on the Angolans, who snatched victory with a minimal margin.
Match leader and upcoming plans
The most productive player for the Ukrainian national team was Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk — he scored 22 points.
Next, as part of the preparation, the Ukrainians will play against Lithuania on June 28 in an away match in Šiauliai. After the friendly matches, the team will play two official 2027 World Cup qualification games, which will determine the final standings in the group.
Situation in Qualification Group A
After four rounds, Spain leads Group A, having already secured first place. Ukraine and Georgia have identical records — two wins and two losses — and have practically secured their place in the next round. Denmark rounds out the quartet without a single win.
To officially advance to the second stage of qualification, the Ukrainians only need to meet at least one of the conditions: win one of the remaining matches or accumulate the necessary number of points depending on the results of their opponents.
Recall that the top three teams from the group will advance to the second stage of qualification, where they will compete for tickets to the 2027 World Cup.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian national team basketball player Maksym Klychko switched from a top European league to the US championship.