The Azerbaijan men's basketball team has lost its chance to compete in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
This decision was confirmed before the conclusion of the first qualification round in the European Zone, Idman.biz reports.
In the 5th round, Azerbaijan faced Kosovo. Tahir Bakhshiyev’s team lost 79-81 in Pristina, officially ending their hopes of progressing from the group.
Azerbaijan, placed in Group A, is at the bottom of the group with 6 points. Ireland and Kosovo each have 7 points, and these three teams are battling for second place. The fate of the first place has already been decided, with Switzerland leading with 10 points, making it out of reach for the others.
Azerbaijan still has a slim chance of finishing second. If the team defeats Ireland in Baku in the final round, and Switzerland causes an upset by defeating Kosovo, then all three teams will have 8 points. In this case, head-to-head results will determine the final ranking. Azerbaijan must defeat Ireland by a 20-point margin to claim second place.
While this may seem difficult, it remains a possibility—but ultimately pointless.
This is because only the best second-place team from each group will advance to the second qualification stage. Group A has 4 teams, while Groups B and C each have 3 teams. As a result, when determining the best second-place team, the matches with the 1st and 3rd place teams are considered. Azerbaijan has lost both games to Switzerland, so even if they win against Ireland, they will have only one victory against a third-place team.
In contrast, the second-place teams from the other groups have secured two victories, meaning that Azerbaijan cannot be the best second-place team, even with a win. The same applies to Ireland, as even with a 2-point win in Baku, they won’t become the best second-place team. Kosovo is the only team from the group still with a chance to secure this spot. They would need to beat Switzerland and hope for favorable results in comparison with the other second-place teams.
For Azerbaijan, the match against Ireland will be a mere formality in terms of World Cup qualification. The team will fight for the formal second-place spot, to avoid being last in the group, and for image, ranking points, and a revenge win over Ireland.
The Azerbaijan vs. Ireland match will take place on February 23.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
