The Montenegro water polo national team faces a challenging group at the World Championship in Fukuoka, with the quality of their rivals in the knockout phase adding to the difficulties, according to coach Vladimir Gojković.

From the draw in Athens, Montenegro’s Group D opponents include Spain, South Africa, and Serbia.

Gojković identifies Spain as the top contender in the group, while he considers South Africa to be the underdog.

“Serbia is also in our group, and we are well aware of their capabilities. Another challenge is that the teams from our group will compete against those from a group that includes Croatia, Hungary, and the host nation, Japan. However, perhaps it could have been slightly easier,” Gojković stated after the draw.

He revealed that preparations for the World Championship will commence on May 15.

“Now that we know our opponents, we have two months of preparation ahead of us starting May 15, as we aim to achieve a favorable outcome,” Gojković added.

The group UA will feature the United States, Australia, Kazakhstan, and Greece, while the UB group encompasses China, France, Canada, and Italy. Croatia, Hungary, Brazil, and Japan were placed in Group C during the draw.

The winners of each group will progress directly to the quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams will compete for a spot in the top eight.

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