Osman expects Ankara fans to make lots of noise, help Turkey in tough showdown with Spain

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Osman expects Ankara fans to make lots of noise, help Turkey in tough showdown with Spain image

Turkey fans love their basketball and Cedi Osman expects the great support from the faithful in Ankara will help Turkey in their important up-coming battle with Spain in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers.

Turkey are currently second in Group I with a 6-2 record with a one-game lead on Latvia and two more victories than Montenegro and Ukraine with four games to go. Ufuk Sarica's Turks host 7-1 group leaders Spain on November 29 in Ankara before heading to Montenegro on December 2.

“I AM EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF THE NATIONAL TEAM AS WE HAVE SO MANY TALENTS AND THE DESIRE TO BRING TURKEY BACK TO THE TOP OF EUROPE.”- Osman

"We expect Ankara's fans to make a lot of noise and help the team, as usual. We have amazing fans and I am sure that the guys are going to try to be our sixth man," said Osman, who will not be available for the window. "It's going to be a tough game against a very tough opponent. The Spanish national team is probably the best in Europe in the last decade, and to win this one would be a great achievement for all of us."

Ankara FIBAWC

Osman, who has averaged 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 assists in four Qualifiers for Turkey, thinks the Turkish team can look at what Ukraine did in the previous window, beating Spain 76-65, and use it as motivation.

"We are going to try to repeat what Ukraine did in the previous window. We have to believe in our potential," said the 23-year-old star.

Osman added that it would be important to beat Montenegro as well to get closer to securing a top-three spot in the group and a berth at China 2019.

"The next window is very important; it can be a difference maker if we win one or two games. If the results are good, the qualification is possible in the next window, and that would be very good for sure," the small forward said.

Osman was part of the Turkey team that picked up two victories in September, beating Montenegro 79-69 in Ankara and then knocking off FIBA EuroBasket 2017 champs Slovenia 86-77 on the road.

 

"It's always good to win at home, and winning in Slovenia, against the current European champions, wasn’t an easy task. But I think that we showed in those two games that Turkey is competitive and that we don’t ever give up," Osman said. "We are on a mission to reach the qualification as soon as possible, and one of the steps was to win those two games in the September window." 

Osman enjoyed playing in his national team colors again.

"I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys. I am very proud to represent my country," he said. "I am still pretty young, and I am excited for the future of the national team as we have so many talents and the desire to bring Turkey back to the top of Europe. I like how things are going and our future is going to be bright if we keep working hard as we have been doing in the last couple of years."

“WE EXPECT ANKARA'S FANS TO MAKE A LOT OF NOISE AND HELP THE TEAM, AS USUAL. WE HAVE AMAZING FANS AND I AM SURE THAT THE GUYS ARE GOING TO TRY TO BE OUR SIXTH MAN.”- Osman

Turkey, who reached the FIBA Basketball World Cup Final in 2010 at home and lost to the United States, are aiming to make their fifth straight appearance at the global spectacle.

"We want to make Turkish people proud of us by playing well and putting all the energy we have on the court. We really want to qualify for next year’s tournament and want to have a good run there, as we want to keep improving and competing on a constant basis against the best teams and players in the world," said Osman, who would be playing in his second World Cup after averaging 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds at Spain 2014 as a 19-year-old. "If you want to improve and keep being competitive, you have to participate in this kind of tournament… It also helps working on the chemistry and on the team game by competing against the best of the world. You can evaluate your competitiveness and your potential in international competitions like the World Cup."

Turkey's final two Qualifiers are at home against Slovenia on February 22, 2019 and at Spain on February 25, 2019.

 

 

 

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