In the yellow Avicii Arena with a whopping 9,364 spectators, Sweden failed to defeat favorites Estonia on Friday evening. The final score of 77-88 means that Sweden will most likely not advance from this first World Cup qualifying group to the Qatar 2027 championship.
A big question mark before the match was who would replace star Simon Bigander in the center position. He resigned before the meeting. Riipinen opted for Kenny Pohto, but it was Zaba Bangala who impressed with eight points in the first period, which ended 22-22.
In the second period, the lack of taller players under the basket in Sweden’s defense became apparent as the team struggled to get rebounds – a long-standing problem for Sweden. This created more opportunities for Estonia, who were able to pull away in terms of results, and Sweden went into the half-time break with a score of 36:46.
The third period began And it felt like Sweden could lose the game here, but not if Melwin Pantzar made the decision. The 25-year-old showed his good form for the club team and dominated the game at the start of the second half. He brought the blue-yellow back into the game with two steals.
The game turned completely around and the Avicii Arena was full of energy as Sweden took the lead. But with a three-pointer from Estonia at the end of the quarter, Sweden only led 58:57 before the final period.
In the final period, Estonia came back to life and regained the lead.
Despite their fighting spirit, Sweden ended up losing 77:88 after Estonia stepped up their game.
The way to the toilet Now things are looking difficult because three wins in three games are needed to have any chance of promotion. It’s not even sure whether it’s enough, because Sweden would then have to advance with the point difference.
Despite the low chances of promotion, the Swedish national basketball team is not aiming for the World Cup, but rather the European Championships. Something that both team captain and Confederation captain Mikko Riipinen told DN.
– Our clear goal is to get into the European Championships. But the World Cup dream is still alive, Håkanson said at the time.
Promotion from the first World Cup group would mean that Sweden would not have to qualify for the 2029 European Championships and the path there would be much easier.
Sweden will face Estonia again on Sunday, then in Tallinn at 6 p.m.
