CacaNito Reflects on JiJieHao's Esports World Cup Performance

Aleksandar "CacaNito" Kjulukoski of JiJieHao shared his thoughts on his team's performance at the Esports World Cup, where they faced an early exit after an impressive upset over Spirit in the opening round. The team struggled in their subsequent best-of-three matches against GamerLegion and Aurora, managing only an average of five rounds per map across both series.

Reflecting on the matches, CacaNito noted that the team may have been overconfident following their initial success. He admitted, "I think we didn't play the way we were supposed to play, and we didn't show our game in the best-of-threes. I don't know if it's pressure or being tired from the long run or whatever, but I think we just failed."

Despite the disappointing results, CacaNito highlighted the positives from their journey in Paris, particularly their achievement in qualifying for the main tournament after a challenging run through the Last-Chance Qualifier. Head coach Torbjørn "mithR" Nyborg emphasized that the team should take pride in reaching a tier-1 event, which marks a significant milestone for JiJieHao.

Currently ranked 34th in the global VRS, their highest position since May 2025, JiJieHao is set to participate in the open qualifiers for IEM Beijing and the LEON.bet Masters in Portugal. CacaNito acknowledged the increased challenges in reaching a Major, particularly after Valve's recent changes to regional classifications, but remains optimistic about the team's future.

"We will take one or two days off to reset mentally and then we'll go back [at it]," he stated, emphasizing the need to continue improving and competing at higher levels. CacaNito believes that the team is on the right path and is determined to work hard towards their goal of making it to a Major.