Félice’s First Under-18 Match Ends in Tough Defeat

Félice’s first match as Under-18 coach—since taking over the senior squad—proved to be a difficult one, particularly for the confidence of his team.
Facing one of the group favourites, Cyprus, Gibraltar was in for a tough contest, challenged to keep up with the physical pace and intensity of their opponents.
The match served as an opportunity for the head coach to assess the development of his younger players, while also keeping an eye on potential additions to the senior setup. Despite the defeat, there were positives to take away.
The first quarter was fast-paced. Although Gibraltar remained around ten points behind for most of the period, they put up a strong fight. The quarter ended with Gibraltar trailing by 14, but their confidence remained intact heading into the second.
In the second quarter, scoring remained slow for Gibraltar, and they again slipped to a 14-point deficit. However, they showed resilience and managed to reduce the gap to ten points. Only in the final seconds did Cyprus widen the lead once more. Two cleanly converted free throws saw Gibraltar end the half at 38-29—a minor confidence boost heading into the second half, though not enough to stop Cyprus’ growing momentum.
Cyprus turned up the intensity in the third quarter and began to show why they were considered group favourites. Gibraltar stalled in the 30s as Cyprus steadily extended their lead, ending the quarter ahead 63-39.
In the fourth, Cyprus continued to dominate, powering forward with increased confidence. Gibraltar could do little to stem the flow as Cyprus ran out comfortable 95-51 winners.
Playing in Tirana, Albania—where they will also face San Marino and Monaco—Gibraltar is set to take on San Marino on Monday afternoon (full report in our upcoming editions).
The day’s gap between matches provides a brief respite after the fast-paced and physical challenge that marked the start of their tournament campaign.