Tomorrow, on February 20, the Armenian basketball team will play its final match of the 2027 World Cup qualification against Albania. Although the chances of finishing first in the group are gone, Armenia can still advance to the next round if it secures second place. Three group winners and the best runner-up among all groups will advance to the next stage.
What Armenia Needs to Qualify
To improve its chances of progressing, Armenia must defeat Albania by at least 35 points. The bigger the point difference, the higher the chances of outperforming its rivals.
Favorable Outcomes in Group B
The most advantageous scenario for Armenia:
-
A narrow victory for either team in the Norway vs. Luxembourg match, preferably a Norway win.
-
After that, Romania needs to defeat Norway convincingly. For example, if Norway beats Luxembourg by +2 points and then loses to Romania by -25 points, Armenia would need to beat Albania by at least +38 points.
-
If Luxembourg defeats Norway, Armenia would need to win against Albania by +46 points.
Competition with Group A Runner-Up
The situation in Group A is more complicated because there are four teams, and the results against the last-place team are not counted.
-
Armenia benefits if Ireland does not finish second. Competitors Azerbaijan and Kosovo have worse point differentials.
-
Azerbaijan is likely to take second place, as Kosovo still has to face a strong Swiss team.
-
If Azerbaijan beats Kosovo and narrowly defeats Ireland, it would end up with a point differential close to Armenia's. In this case, Armenia would surpass Azerbaijan if it convincingly wins against Albania.
Expectations and Chances
The chances of advancing to the next round remain, although they are slim. Tomorrow, everything will depend not only on Armenia's performance but also on the outcomes of matches in other groups. Fans will have to closely follow the developments.
Remaining Match Schedule:
Group A
-
Kosovo vs. Azerbaijan (February 20)
-
Switzerland vs. Ireland (February 20)
-
Azerbaijan vs. Ireland (February 23)
-
Kosovo vs. Switzerland (February 23)
Group B
-
Norway vs. Luxembourg (February 20)
-
Romania vs. Norway (February 23)
Group C
-
Albania vs. Armenia (February 20)
-
Austria vs. Albania (February 23)