North Macedonia cadets play Ukraine in final group game, call for full house at 26 April Hall
The cadets recovered to beat Switzerland and now face Ukraine in a decisive group match that will shape the 9–16 classification draw.
North Macedonia's cadet basketball team meet Ukraine today in the final match of their group at the European Championship B Division, and players and staff are urging supporters to fill 26 April Hall in Skopje.
The young side showed resilience earlier in the tournament when they came back from a large deficit to beat Switzerland, securing their second victory at the event co-hosted in Skopje and Gevgelija.
Coach Dejan Stojanovski highlighted the squad's depth: the team has seen strong contributions from Ilijan Konevski, and Aleksandar Kotevski, while Dion Shabani and Aleksandar Zunzurovski have already established themselves as regulars. The coaching staff says the achievement is the result of collective effort and that the generation merits sustained attention.
Key showdown for placement
Both North Macedonia and Ukraine enter the match with six points, which means the winner will start the next phase from a better position in the classification for 9th–16th place.
The home side aim to secure third place in the group — that finish would guarantee the team a preferable seed in the playoffs for positions 9 through 16 — and club officials are calling on fans to create a lively home atmosphere in 26 April Hall.
Players and staff say the momentum from their comeback win can be decisive if the stands are full. The team and the federation are hoping a strong turnout will help the cadets take another step toward a successful overall finish at the tournament.
Photo: press material from the event
