Zenit will face Igokea away in the WINLINE Basket Cup. Preview
Opponent
This will already be the third game for the St. Petersburg team in the new tournament. Previously, Aleksander Sekulic’s team defeated Uralmash in Yekaterinburg 92:63 and lost to UNICS on the home court 72:91.
Meanwhile, the club from the Republic of Srpska, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has played only one match in the WINLINE Basket Cup so far. Igokea played their debut game in Laktasi as well. Their meeting with Uralmash was filled with spectacular moments and kept the intrigue alive until the very end — and even beyond. The winner was decided only in overtime: the team from Yekaterinburg claimed a 91:86 victory, while the Bosnian side started the Cup with a defeat.
In the 2025/26 season, Nenad Stefanoviс’s team is participating in three tournaments. In the Adriatic League, Igokea opened with four wins and two losses and currently sits 4th in Group A. In the FIBA Champions League, the situation is much worse: in five group-stage games, the Bosnian team has managed only one win and now holds only a mathematical chance of advancing to the next round.
In both the Adriatic League (16.3 points) and the Champions League (17.4 points), the team’s top scorer is point guard Breein Tyree. However, the American missed the November game against Uralmash, and in his absence the team was led by captain Dragan Milosavljevic (19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), as well as big men Nikola Popovic (14 points) and Strahinja Gavrilovic (11 points).
Head-to-head
Tomorrow’s game will be the first official meeting between Zenit and Igokea.
Direct speech
Zenit head coach Aleksander Sekulic shared his thoughts ahead of the match:
First of all, we’re excited to be here in Banja Luka for what we expect to be a very competitive game against Igokea. They’re a disciplined, physical team that always plays with great energy at home, so we know the level of focus we’ll need from the opening tip. We’ve added a new player to the roster, and while he’s still adapting to our system, we believe he can help us immediately with his versatility and approach to the game. It will take some time for everyone to fully connect, but we’re already seeing positive signs in practice. For us, the key is to stay disciplined, control the tempo, and match Igokea’s physicality. If we stay together and execute our game plan, we’ll put ourselves in a good position to compete for the win.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: Igokea
Location: Laktasi Sports Hall, Laktasi (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Date: December 4, 21:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: Match TV, Match! Igra, WINLINE Basket Cup website, VK Video
