Jasiel Rivero

Havana, February 22 (ACN) - The Cuban men's basketball team will debut this Thursday against the United States in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) qualifying tournament for the AmeriCup 2025 to be held in Managua, Nicaragua, from August 23 to 31.

The Cuban team will open as visitors against the Americans in Florida.

For that duel, the Caribbean nation will only have eight players, due to the absences of Howard Sant Roos and Yoanki Mencia, for situations related to their documentation, together with those of Pedro Bombino and Marcos Chacon, as confirmed by Dalia Henry, president of the Cuban Federation of that sport.

In the case of the latter two athletes, contracted in the Argentinian league, they were denied visas to enter the USA.

Cuba is in Group D with the United States, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, whom they will play twice in a home-and-away format over three windows.

After their debut on Thursday, the basketball players of the largest of the Antilles will host the American team at the Ciudad Deportiva coliseum in the capital this Sunday, the 25th.