FIBA WASL Season 2 Gulf League: Group A preview

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - It would be interesting to see how Group A of the FIBA WASL-Gulf League Season 2 plays out, given the intriguing dynamic it possesses.

Group A

0/12 games played

		GAMES				STREAK	GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	Last 5	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	Kuwait Club	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Al Ahli	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Al Rayyan	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Al Muharraq Sport Club	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0

The favorite: Kuwait Club

Bannering the group are Kuwait Club, who are coming in with so much motivation this season after falling short of winning both championships of the inaugural competitions.

For the uninitiated, the squad were one of the favorites to win it all in the Final 8 after conquering the Gulf League in sweeping fashion. But as fate would have it, they got denied by the same team they beat to win the sub-zone title, Manama, in a down-the-wire finale in Dubai.

The underdog: The newcomers

Now, Kuwait Club will begin their redemption tour against three of the Gulf League's newcomers - namely Muharraq, Al-Ahli Jeddah, and Al Rayyan - in the Group Phase. It would be intriguing to see how they would deliver in their maiden FIBA WASL appearance.

The pivotal game: Kuwait Club versus Muharraq

One of them would be put right to the test, as Muharraq will take on the reigning Gulf League champions in the November 13 season opener at the Khalifa Sports City in Bahrain.

Although it's just the very first game of the new season, that encounter could offer a glimpse of what fans and pundits can expect from Group A moving forward into the tilt.

The open question: Will the streak end?

Kuwait Club did lose in the Final 8 but let's not forget that they swept their way to the Gulf League championship. So, they're entering Season 2 of the sub-zone undefeated, still.

The team of Coach Peter Schomers went a perfect 10-0 to bag home the gold. But given their situation in Group A, one can't help but wonder: Can one of the neophytes end the streak?

Sure, it will be their first hurrah in FIBA WASL, but all of them boast of impressive credentials. Muharraq, for one, have won the Bahraini Premier League crown thrice. They qualified for Season 2 following a runner-up finish in the previous edition of their domestic league.

 

 

Al-Ahli Jeddah, for their part, won their first-ever Saudi Basketball Premier League title - the very reason why they got here. Same goes with Al Rayyan, who ruled the 2022-23 Qatari Basketball League to win their 18th league championship. Definitely, all of them are hungry for more.

These teams know, too, that winning the FIBA WASL would mean going past the test of the defending champions, so there should be no shortage of desire when they face them.

FIBA