KUWAIT CITY (Kuwait) - Al Qadsia SC are expected to parade a new man at the helm when they take on Manama in the Third-Place Game of the 2024/2025 FIBA WASL-Gulf League next week.
The club last March 31 announced the appointment of Javier Munoz as its head coach after Joey Stiebing resigned from the post in another surprising development to have taken place this season.
It came on the heels of their loss to Ittihad Club in the Semi-Finals, which saw the team fall to a reverse sweep after the Saudi Arabian side rallied back from a 0-1 deficit in the best-of-3 series.
Stiebing's exit marked the end of a partnership that began prior to the 2023/2024 season and yielded a runner-up finish in the Kuwaiti Division 1 League, thus bringing the organization to their first WASL trip.
This is now the second time that a team changed its coach in the middle of the tilt after Kuwait Club let go of Peter Schomers during their Qualification to Semi-Finals duel versus Ittihad last February.
Now, Qadsia are hoping for a fresh start under Munoz, who finds himself coaching in the region once again after serving as the chief bench tactician of the Syria men's team in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.
The Spanish mentor got off to a winning start with his new team following a 120-79 victory over Al Nasr in the Kuwaiti league on Wednesday, and they all hope to sustain as much in the Third-Place Game.
Qadsia will host Manama on Monday, April 7, at the Shaikh Saad Alabdullah Sport Hall Complex. Game time is set at 19:00 local time, with the winner securing their slot to the WASL Final 8 in May.
FIBA