MUNICH (FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 Qualifiers) - The road to EuroBasket Women 2017 tips off at the weekend and we take a look at those involved. Next in the queue are Groups E and F, which includes a couple of quarter-finalists from this summer's Final Round.

EuroBasket Women 2015 co-hosts Hungary will re-acquaint themselves with Slovak Republic in Group D, having met in the first phase of the Final Round earlier this year in Sopron. Hungary picked up their only win at the event with an 86-74 victory as they still bowed out, while their rivals rode themselves to the brink of a coveted place in the last eight.

Hungary have kept faith with Stefan Svitek despite that disappointment and he is tasked with turning the page, since he is without a pair of EuroLeague Women guards in Katalin Honti and Alexandra Quigley, as well as veteran star Anna Vajda and the power of Dora Horti.

It means Tijana Krivacevic and Zsofia Fegyverneky will most likely lead the way in the frontcourt and backcourt respectively and there may be opportunities for rising stars such as Debora Dubei.

Maros Kovacik is once again in charge of Slovak Republic - but without significant EuroLeague Women experience in the naturalised Kristi Toliver of UMMC and also the legendary Zuzana Zirkova. The latter has stated she will probably no longer play, but is still on the radar of the play-caller who has spoken of persuading her to re-consider in February. He has also not ruled out a future return for Toliver either.Of those who are included, there is a new face in former teenage star Regina Palusna and she will step out for the first time for Kovacevic, along with an array of younger players such as Barbora Balintova, Zsofia Hruscakova and Martina Kissova who are slowly becoming the spine of the senior team.

Portugal and Iceland are tasked with upsetting the two frontrunners and they will no doubt feel they could have been pitched into much worse groups and have the opportunity to surprise.

Whether they have the capacity to spring an upset will soon be revealed, with Portugal head coach Ricardo Vasconcelos able to rely on Sofia da Silva who was the highest producer during the last qualification programme and Tamara Milovac, who comes back into the mix after starring for Sportiva Azores Airlines who have made a sizeable splash as EuroCup Women rookies.Iceland break new ground for their women's programme by playing in these qualifiers - previously appearing in the old Division B and coming runners-up last year in the European Championship for Small Countries - a competition which has been very much their main focus. Helena Sverrisdottir is well known for her play in EuroLeague and EuroCup Women, meaning she will be the central figure for her country.

Group F sees Russia continue their transition with Alexander Vasin having taken over coaching duties and given the job of turning more of his Sparta&K rising stars into senior players. Russia need to bounce back from being squeezed out of a place at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

They do have a glut of young talent in Maria Vadeeva who crashed onto the scene at the Final Round earlier this year and now the likes of her FIBA U19 Women's World Championship colleague, Daria Kolosovskaia, look primed to make an impression. Not that Vasin won't rely on veteran know-how in Irina Osipova, while Evegnia Belayakova remains the leader on the floor along with the naturalised Epiphanny Prince.

While Russia are favourites to take pole position, Greece look like the most likely challengers for top spot. They also have a new face on the sideline in Kostas Keramidas, who takes over from George Dikeoulakos.Greece performed well in the Final Round and were aggrieved not to make the quarter-finals, meaning they should have an additional motivation for these qualifiers. Agu Spor forward Zoi Dimitrakou and Spar Citylift Girona's Artemis Spanou in particular will be expected to make some noise for their team.

Bulgaria and Switzerland complete the group, with both nations benefiting from having teams in EuroCup Women this year - Dunav 8806 Ruse in the case of the former and Elfic Fribourg for the Swiss.

Coming so close to qualifying for EuroBasket Women 2015 after losing three games by a handful of points, things could have been so different for Bulgaria and they could yet pose a strong challenge this time around.

Radostina (Stefanova) Dimitrova is their usual primary source of joy offensively - as evidenced by her season so far at Dunav. It also looks like veteran EuroLeague Women campaigner Noel Quinn could replace Donneka Hodges in the naturalised spot.

Switzerland will look to the core of the Fribourg side for inspiration - including Alexia Rol and Laura Thalmann, while both Karen Twehues and Marielle Giroud of Aaru Basket and Helosi have always been standout performers in the past.

FIBA