Luxembourg's men's national basketball team will play the first of their two final pre-qualifier matches for the European Championship on Thursday at the Coque, facing Azerbaijan. On Sunday, they will take on North Macedonia. These fixtures represent highly important moments in the team's campaign this week.
In 2025, Luxembourg secured an away victory against Azerbaijan with a 95-90 win, suggesting an evenly matched contest awaits. National coach Ken Diederich noted that his team scored 95 points and 14 three-pointers in that encounter, managing the match cleanly to the end despite a difficult atmosphere. He puts the chances of victory in the upcoming fixture at 50/50.
Three days later, an even tougher opponent awaits in North Macedonia, who currently top the group with four victories. In February, Luxembourg suffered a 70-79 defeat away against them.
National player Ben Kovac described North Macedonia as a much more experienced team with considerable depth in every position, as well as a versatile US player whose frequent changes make their playing style difficult to predict. "We simply have to give our best, take it match by match, and win the first one against Azerbaijan. After that, we'll see what we can do against North Macedonia," Kovac concluded.
The squad for the two matches has undergone some changes. Notably absent is Namik Muratovic from Bayern Munich. Coach Diederich explained that Joe Kalmes has a torn cruciate ligament, Olivier Vujakovic is absent for personal reasons, and Muratovic is struggling with adductor problems. These absences leave the Luxembourg team somewhat lacking in height. However, the squad can rely on Edson De Sousa from Larochette and Dorian Grosber from the US.
A single victory would leave the team relying on calculations to determine whether it is enough to reach the next qualification round, while two wins would guarantee progression. The home crowd at the Coque is expected to provide a significant boost.
Kovac emphasised the advantage of playing at home in FIBA matches, citing the support of the crowd. "We know that we always play quite well at home, but we have to give 100% and play perfect basketball for 40 minutes to even have a chance at this level," he said.
