Bulgaria feel sense of urgency ahead of World Cup European Pre-Qualifiers
SOFIA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers) - The message coming out of Bulgaria these days is simple and straight to the point with respect to next month's games against Belarus and Portugal.
Lyubomir Minchev's side needs to finish in the top two of its group in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers.
Otherwise, the coach and players will be looking on in envy at the 32 teams from the old continent that are taking part in World Cup Qualifiers.
"We need to qualify," rising star Alexander Vezenkov said. "Anything different will be a failure."
Minchev, the head coach, sang from the same hymn sheet.
"Our goal is clear: we need to qualify," he said.
Fifteen players are in the squad getting ready for the big games, including Vezenkov, who is coming off a season at Barcelona.
Another player that figures to be crucial is Dee Bost, the point guard on the very good AS Monaco team that reached the Basketball Champions League Final Four.
| Bulgaria 15-player camp squad for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers | ||||
| Demarquas Bost | Evgeni Hadjirusev | Nikolay Stoyanov | Alex Simeonov | Pavel Marinov |
| Yordan Minchev | Alexander Georgiev | Alexander Vezenkov | Velislav Galabov | Stanislav Vaklinov |
| Nikolay Vangelov | Chavdar Kostov | Stanimir Marinov | Martin Marinov | Dimitar Dimitrov |
"I believe in these players," Minchev said. "Last summer we tried to fight with the strongest teams and we were close (to qualifying for FIBA EuroBasket 2017). It will be harder this year.
"The opponents are strong. Belarus were really close to the qualification last year. I want our team to play good basketball, to strenghthen the impressions from the last year. But the main goal is to qualify."
Vezenkov is a huge talent, yet an inexperienced one.
He's eager to help out.
"It's great for us that people have big expectations," he said. "I want to help and to do my best for the national team. We are a good team, we have to fight together. It is really important to win. We have in the team a lot of good, experienced players.
"They need to lead us, the young players, I count myself as a young player. We need to qualify. Anything different will be a failure.
"Last summer, we played good basketball and we were really close to qualifying. But the most important thing is to qualify. Nobody will remember that we played great basketball. Everybody will remember that we didn't qualify. We have to prepare well and to fight strong. We have to win."
FIBA
