By Stefan Djordjevic/ sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
North Macedonia failed to qualify for the EuroBasket 2022 as they closed the qualifiers with a 2-4 record in Group B behind Estonia (2-4), Russia (4-2), and Italy (4-2).
Coach Aleksandar Todorov couldn’t push the team over the hump and his reigns will be transferred over to the new coach – Dragan Bajic, as the Federation announced. He will be in charge of trying to lead the team to the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Bajic has made a name for himself over the past decade during multiple stints with Igokea, especially so in the 2012-13 season when the team finished at the top of the ABA League in the regular phase. That gave a chance to the team to participate in Euroleague, however, the club didn’t fulfill all the B-license requirements back then.
The 47-year-old Bosnian has also been on the head of Igokea this season and the team made a very successful run in the Basketball Champions League as well as the ABA League.
Bajic’s squad reached the Round of 16 in BCL as an underdog and had a shot at reaching the Final Eight but eventually fell to the reigning champion Hereda San Pablo Burgos and the competition’s elite Lenovo Tenerife.
Meanwhile, the team is currently in third place when it comes to ABA standings with 19-6 and will have a chance to stay there and qualify for the Final Four if the results go their way in the final round of the regular season.