BASKETBALL – Manama and Al Ahli get their head-to-head playoff series underway tonight for a berth in the Gulf sub-zone semi-finals in the 2024-25 FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL).
The bitter, long-time nemeses play game one in their best-of-three clash at the Bahrain Basketball Association Arena in Umm Al Hassam.
The winner of this match-up will move on to the WASL Gulf final four, where they will take on Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE in another best-of-three series.
The two sides are set to create another chapter in the long rivalry, and they are looking forward to hitting the hardwood this evening for the 7.30pm tip-off.
“It’s really important for the country,” Manama head coach Linos Gavriel said on the importance of their playoff series against Ahli.
“Let’s not forget that in the last three or four years, we won in WASL. The national team also played in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which was huge, and won the GCC.
“Then, us competing in big competitions like the Intercontinental Cup – the World Cup of Clubs of FIBA – then Muharraq participating in WASL. And now, Ahli and Manama in the qualification to semi-finals – it’s huge and good for the country.”
Ahli point guard Ahmed Alderazi added that they are expecting a tough fight and head into the series as underdogs. “We know how strong teams are,” he said. “The five or six games we had, we didn’t play well – we lost two or three points, but we are better than this, as coach said.
“We’re getting better. We look forward to the play-in.”
Following tonight’s opener, game two is then scheduled for Monday next week, while game three, if needed, will be held on March 3.
The winners move on to their Gulf semis affair with Shabab Al Ahli, which will get underway with game one on March 10. Game two will then be on March 17, and then a third game, if required, will be held on March 24.
Aside from the Manama-Ahli match-up, another Gulf playoff will take place between Kuwait SC of Kuwait and Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. Their first game will be tomorrow, after which the second will be on February 11. Game three is set for March 4.
The winner of the Kuwait-Ittihad battle will take on Al Qadsia, also of Kuwait, in the semis. Games one through three will be on March 11, 18, and 25.
Shabab Al Ahli and Qadsia earned automatic berths in the final four after topping their respective groups in the preliminary round.
Shabab Al Ahli were first in Group A, where Ahli finished third, while Qadsia were top in Group B, with Manama taking second spot.
The winners of the two semi-finals will then meet in the WASL Gulf championship series in another best-of-three clash, set for April 8, 15, and 22. The losers in the semis will play for third place on April 7.
The top three teams from WASL Gulf sub-zone as well as the WASL West Asia sub-zone will qualify for the FIBA WASL Final Eight. There, they will be joined by the champions of South and Central Asia to determine this season’s overall WASL champions.
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