JAKARTA (AFP) – Latvia head coach Luca Banchi said his team “doesn’t need a coach any more” after the tournament sensations booked their place in the quarterfinals on Sunday, Sept. 3, with a win over Brazil.
Latvia is making their World Cup debut and has already beaten Tokyo Olympics silver medalists France and defending champions Spain in Jakarta.
They clinched their place in the last eight with another hugely impressive display against Brazil, thrashing the South Americans 104-84.
Banchi said his goal as a coach was “to make the players autonomous” and he believes that time has already come.
“I believe this group doesn’t need a coach anymore,” said the Italian.
“They are solid, conscious, accurate, bringing more and more confidence into the tournament.
“We can adapt, they know what I’m asking when we go into some choices, they know what’s the style that works.”
Latvia, who will play either Germany or Slovenia in the quarter-finals, has become huge crowd favorites in Jakarta, with local fans getting behind the team.
The tournament, which is being held in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, now moves entirely to Manila for the final stage.
Banchi said he had been greeted by local fans when he and his assistants visited a mall in Jakarta and was surprised to hear some of them greet him in Latvian.
He said the city had given him memories that “will be forever”.
“Yesterday night, I realized the task we did, not only on the basketball court but also off the court,” he said.
“How our people, our fans, and also our attitude on the court defines this unforgettable adventure.”
