‘It’s a great week for us’ Mark Keenan

IRELAND head coach Mark Keenan said: “Delighted, we have won two out of two now going into February and now it’s all about then”.

“When have we ever won two games back-to back here?! I think you’d have to look back to the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries, so it’s a great week for us, for the team, at the level we played.

A member of Templeogue Basketball Club, Kennan went on to say: “I think tonight we got to the highest level we played, but maybe not for as long as we did on Thursday (against Azerbaijan), and Kosovo put it up to us as well, they are tough.”

Ireland made it two wins from two in November, with a 91-85 win over Kosovo on Sunday in their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre Qualifiers fixture at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

It keeps Ireland second in Group A with a 2-2 record and still in contention to qualify for the next round, ahead of two away fixtures against group leaders Switzerland and Azerbaijan in February.

Ireland’s next games are away against Group A leaders Switzerland on February 20, followed by a trip to Azerbaijan on February 23.

“They will be very tough (Switzerland & Azerbaijan).

“The lads will be up for it, big time.

“Next thing we think about will be Switzerland, that’s the next focus – how we can get the win over there”, Keenan added.

The group winners and the best runner-up from three groups advance to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre Qualifying.