Austria loses World Cup qualifier in Latvia by a wide margin and finishes Group F in last place

Naglic nonetheless saw positive signs in the opening 20 minutes. „Wir haben gegen einen erneut physisch starken Gegner eine sehr ansprechende erste Halbzeit gezeigt und dabei unser Maximum herausgeholt“, the head coach said after the game. About the second half, however, he was notably less satisfied: „In den zweiten 20 Minuten konnten wir der Intensität des Heimteams nichts mehr entgegensetzen – vor allem unter dem Korb."

Austria's top scorer was Nordin Kapic with 19 points. For the 22-year-old, it was only his second appearance with the senior national team. The young player is thus among the youngest contributors to have taken on responsibility in this qualifying phase.

Two historic defeats within a few days

The loss against Latvia came after the 77:123 defeat against Poland on the previous Friday and was already the second heavy setback within a few days. Both results represented Austria's biggest losses in a competitive match since a 52:102 defeat against Turkey in the EuroBasket qualification in 1991.

Even before the game in Riga, it was clear that Austria could advance to the second and final qualifying round only with a 19-point win. The requirement was not met, and elimination was already certain before tip-off. The defeat confirmed the low point of an otherwise difficult campaign, in which only the lone win against the Netherlands offered a small bright spot.

Despite the lopsided result, Naglic wanted to frame the game as a step in the development of his young team. „Jeder Einzelne wird von diesen 40 Minuten, aber auch von der gesamten letzten Woche im Team, viel mitnehmen und positiv für seine Entwicklung nutzen können“, the head coach said. The team had gained valuable experience at the international level throughout the training and game phase.

Naglic sees potential for development

Naglic also highlighted the atmosphere in the arena. „Aber dieses Spiel vor dieser großartigen Kulisse war eine unglaubliche Erfahrung für unsere junge Mannschaft“, he said. The game in Riga therefore offered more than just a sporting result: for the ÖBV squad, it was a meeting with an established international opponent in an evocative setting.

Outlook on upcoming tasks

Latvia, which entered this qualifying game as the twelfth-ranked team from EuroBasket 2025, presented itself as a continental force. Poland finished atop Group F and advances to the decisive qualifying round. After elimination, Austria's only option is to continue driving forward the rebuild around its young players such as Kapic.

The ÖBV team's next mandatory assignment is the preparation for the upcoming international windows. Naglic had recently emphasized that the players could take a great deal from this week – a statement that, given the lopsided results, is directed primarily toward the future.