From Gulf runners-up to FIBA WASL champs? Haji definitely likes Manama's chances

DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - Ahmed Haji likes his Manama's chances of winning the big one after falling short in their first crack at a FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) title.

The club from Bahrain reached the Final 8's Last Dance by beating BC Astana in the Semi-Finals Friday night, giving themselves an opportunity to bring home the top prize after being foiled in the Gulf League just last month.

"I'll take my team over any team," he said moments after the 91-81 win at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall. "I like my chances personally."

\Looking back, Manama were only two wins away from assuming the WASL-Gulf throne to become its first-ever kings. But standing in their way was Kuwait Club, who at the time came into the Final unbeaten in eight games.

The team of Coach Linos Gavriel got swept in the best-of-3 series, marking the end of their run to remember in that Final Phase.

But they knew, too, that the idea of becoming WASL champions was still very much alive, since they were among the three teams from the sub-zone that earned tickets to the Final 8.

Now, they're just a win away from doing that, and Haji himself had a hand in conquering Astana, who came into the Semis undefeated with a 3-0 card.

The 28-year-old supplied 11 points in the balanced attack, but it was his defense on opposing guard Karvel Anderson that earned him plaudits.

Anderson finished the Group Phase as the Final 8's leading scorer with 24.3 points, but got held to just 7 points on 4 attempts with Haji hounding him.

"The main guy that we wanted to be out of his game because he was averaging 24,3 points was Anderson. He scored only seven points. Half of the job came from the gentleman on my left," Gavriel said of Haji, who sat beside him in the postgame press conference.

He loved the assignment, Haji said, but still has the utmost respect for Anderson that he actually learned a thing or two from the latter while guarding him.

"Anderson is a great player. He's a great shooter. I even told him that as a shooter, I love guarding another shooter," he said.

"I love the assignment. I even learned how he moves, how he tries to set [himself] up to get open so in the future, maybe I could do that.  It was great. He's a great player. I was glad to be able to guard a player at that level."

But he didn't take all the credit to himself. Haji said that it wasn't all him but rather the entire Manama that made it hard for Anderson the whole night through their defense that got beefed up with the additions of former NBA veteran Jeremy Evans and Sir'Dominic Pointer.

"Credit goes to our defense as well. We made it tough for him. We tried to always keep someone on him -- when I got stuck on a screen, the big man helped. We did a great job guarding him," he said.

Still, Haji felt extremely elated for Manama to have reached this far. But he refuses to get too caught up in the moment, for he knows that the job isn't done yet.

They are facing Kuwait Club once again on Saturday night for the WASL crown. Coach Peter Schomers' squad set up the title bout after beating Al Riyadi in the other Semis bracket, 95-85.

"It's the final game of West Asia [Super League], man," he said.

"It's a tough game. Like today, we needed to play a perfect game. Tomorrow, it has to be even more perfect," added Haji. "That's how it's supposed to be tomorrow."

FIBA