BEIRUT (Lebanon) - It’s easy to overlook Al Difaa Al Jawi SC. First season in WASL. Two games, two losses. Newcomers from Iraq, in a league stacked with powerhouses. But if you’ve been watching, you already know - this squad doesn’t go away.
They fight. Every possession. Every quarter. Every game.
We try to fight. We try to take the win whoever we play against.
And with Ihab Al-Zuhairi and Jordan Hamilton in the mix, this team is carrying the underdog mentality like a badge of honor. Forget expectations. Al Difaa are here to prove something—to themselves, to Iraq, and to anyone expecting an easy night.
Ihab Al-Zuhairi: The heart of the fight
At 2.10M (6'11"), Ihab Al-Zuhairi holds it down in the paint and sets the tone for Al Difaa. At 26 years old, the national team big man is showing why he's been excited to play at this stage.
"Honestly, it's a big responsibility," Al-Zuhairi said. "It's my dream to represent both the national federation and the club and have good results. We all want to win, and as I said, it's a big responsibility."
And he’s backing it up with big-time production: Through two games, Al-Zuhairi is averaging 15.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game and shooting 84.6 percent from the line, including a 17-point, 9-rebound opener against Amman United and a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double against Tabiat.
Still, he’s not satisfied.
"It is good statistics, but I don't feel happy because we didn't win," Al-Zuhairi said. "So I feel it's not enough for my team. I will keep improving my game. Game after game, we are learning, and we show our mistakes. We keep working on it."
Against Tabiat, Al Difaa led in the final two minutes. Two national team players against one of Iran’s best squads - and they were right there.
"We were close to winning," he said. "We were fighting, we kept the game close. We try to fight, we try to take the win whoever we play against. This is a very good experience for us, to prove ourselves, to see what are our mistakes, and we keep working on it."
Jordan Hamilton: The steady hand
Jordan Hamilton is new to Al Difaa, but it didn’t take long for the veteran to buy into the mission.
"I've only been with the team for a few days, but I think the potential is there," Hamilton said after the first game. "We showed fight. We showed that we can win."
And his numbers back that up. In his WASL debut, Hamilton dropped 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists against Amman United, helping drag Al Difaa back from a 20-point halftime hole.
"It was a tough game," Hamilton said. "But we had a chance to fight back. We fell short in the end, but next time we have just got to execute better and get off to a better start."
The second game was quieter - just 6 points, but still adding 6 assists - but for Hamilton, this journey is bigger than one box score.
"I think we have the talent and the team to get there," he said, eyeing the long-term goal of qualifying for a BCL Asia spot. "Being able to potentially play against teams from Japan, Chinese Taipei ... it would be fun and important. I look forward to the opportunity."
But right now? It’s about stacking fight after fight until the rest of the league understands exactly who Al Difaa is.
Iraq's next big swing
Iraqi clubs have been a part of WASL West Asia from the start. Al Naft made it as far as the Qualification to Semi-Finals in WASL’s first year. Al Shorta pushed to the Sub-Zone Semi-Finals the next. But no club has broken through to the Finals. None have reached the Final 8.
Al Difaa knows the history. They just don’t care.
They aren't here for a participation trophy. They aren't satisfied with "almost". And they aren’t backing down from anybody.
As Al-Zuhairi put it: "We try to fight. We try to take the win whoever we play against."
It might not always be pretty. But if you step on the floor with Al Difaa, you better be ready for a fight from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Because Iraq's next challenger? They’re here. And they’re just getting started.
FIBA