BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Group A leadership is set to be disputed by perennial contenders as the 2024/2025 FIBA WASL-Gulf League resumes action on Monday.
With the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers' second window all done, the focus shifts back to the pan-regional contest beginning with a game that should go down the wire as Shabab Al Ahli and Kuwait Club figure in a battle between league pioneers.
GROUP A
Needless to say, both squads have grown familiar with one another, having faced each other three times in the first two WASL seasons - twice in the 2022/2023 Gulf League Semi-Finals, and then in the Final 8 Group Phase of that same season.
In all those instances, for those who are wondering, it was the Kuwaiti side that came out triumphant, with an average winning margin of 13.7 points.
That makes Monday's meeting mean so much for Shabab Al Ahli, as they're keen on getting one against their tormentors, aside of course from the fact that they'd be capturing sole leadership of the group as they're both at 2-0 presently.
The squad of Qais Omar Alshabebi opened their 2024/2025 WASL campaign with a convincing 83-65 win over Al Bashaer, before using their experience to hack out a 76-73 result over newcomers Al Ahli Club where they had to buck a tepid start.
Beating the Bahraini side enabled the inaugural BCL Asia runners-up to gain a share of the group lead, as it was Kuwait Club who grabbed pole position first following victories against Al Ahli (88-77) and Al Bashaer (103-48) as well.
The reigning three-time Gulf League champions have been impressive thus far considering that they're still perfecting chemistry with new reinforcements in tow, namely JaKarr Sampson, point guard Briante Weber, and Augustine Rubit.
But without a doubt, their upcoming match versus Shabab Al Ahli should serve as a litmus test for Coach Peter Schomers and his charges as they're facing a group that has known them very well given their numerous battles in the past.
Add to that the fact that they will have to face them on their foes' own turf at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall in Dubai, at 19:00 p.m. local time.
Meanwhile, either one of Al Ahli and Al Bashaer will finally get on board as both the 0-2 teams are set to duke it out on Tuesday night at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
Much of the attention will be on the team of Coach Jad El Hajj, as they're coming off a runner-up finish behind Manama in the recently-concluded Bahraini Super Cup.
Fans are curious as to how they'd respond from that defeat as they return to WASL action but some are really wondering how they are form-wise, now that the team's had multiple reps together - something they didn't have to start the season.
But not to be forgotten, of course, are the club from Oman, whose primary goal for now is to end what's been an 8-game losing skid in WASL - dating back from their previous campaign in the 2022/2023 inaugurals - and then take it from there.
FIBA