Greece to face Ukraine in crucial FIBA World Cup qualifying match

The Greek national basketball team has arrived in Riga, Latvia, ahead of tonight’s pivotal 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine at the Xiaomi Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 19:00 local time. The Greek roster features 12 players, including Kostas Papanikolaou, Nick Calathes, Ioannis Larentzakis, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Dinos Mitoglou, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Vassilis Toliopoulos, Tyler Dorsey, Nasos Bazinas, Omiros Netzipoglou, and Antonis Karagiannidis. Dimitris Flionis was excluded from the roster due to injury, while Dimitris Moraitis and Nikos Persidis also did not travel with the team.

Greece enters this match looking to recover from a difficult first round where they finished third in their group with a 3-3 record, following disappointing losses to Romania and Portugal in July. Despite those setbacks, the team showed promise by winning warm-up friendlies against Poland (89-81) and Cyprus (82-75). The game against Ukraine is critical for Greece’s qualification prospects, as a win would allow them to level with their opponents in the standings and strengthen their position within the top three spots of Group 9, which guarantee advancement to the final tournament phase.