MANAMA (Bahrain) - Lebanon are sitting at the top of Group D as favorites with an unblemished record. If they can keep it up in these next two games, there’s a high possibility that they will directly qualify for FIBA Asia Cup 2021.

Those wins won’t come easy for the Cedars. Bahrain and India, both with one win so far, are also packing quite a punch heading into the window. Even winless Iraq have assembled a solid roster in an effort to turn the tables.

Group D featured some fun games and spectacular individual performances in Window 1. The outlook is that this could be the case once again in Window 2 with Lebanon, Bahrain, India, and Iraq all ready to go into battle.

Team to beat: Lebanon

Even after beating their opponents by an average of 31.0 points per game in Window 1, Lebanon are still not ready to relax just yet.

The group leaders are expected to parade their usual stars like Wael Arakji, Ali Haidar, and Ater Majok while still listing rising youngsters such Karim Zeinoun, Karim Ezzeddine, Aziz Abdelmasih, and Ali Mansour. Add in a seasoned captain like Elie Rustom and it’s easy to see why Lebanon are pegged as favorites.

India and Iraq have prepared themselves well for this upcoming window and should present a tough challenge, but both teams will be stepping on the court against Lebanon as underdogs.

FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE

(Updated March 3, 2020)

WORLD RANK	COUNTRY	ZONE RANK	IOC	CURRENT POINTS
57.	Lebanon	9.	LBN	166.9
73.	India	12.	IND	117.1
79.	Iraq	14.	IRQ	109.9
112.	Bahrain	23.	BRN	80.8

 Key Matchup: India vs Bahrain

These two teams matched up in the very first game of Group D back in Window 1 and it resulted in an instant classic. The game went down to the wire and Bahrain’s Hesham Sarhan knocked down the go-ahead game winning triple to break the hearts of India basketball fans.

The rematch is scheduled for November 29 and the stakes couldn’t get an higher. Both teams have 1-1 records heading into the window, which means that the result of this epic clash could turn out to be the key for one of these teams to clinch that Asia Cup 2021 ticket.

They say that sequels are never better than the original, but we have a strong feeling that India vs Bahrain: Part 2 might exceed expectations.

Click here for the full schedule of the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Star: Ali Haidar (LBN)

The perimeter players like Elie Chamoun and Zeinoun shined in the spotlight for Lebanon in Window 1. However, it might be time for the post players to make a presence in the second window.

Lebanon will be going up against a tall and long team in India, so they will need their big men to counter. Ater Majok will be effective in this regard, but there’s no doubt that coach Nebhan Moujaes will also turn to Ali Haidar for points in the paint.

Haidar averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in modest minutes of playing time in the first window. Expect those numbers to spike upwards a bit. 

Player to Watch: Seijin Mathew (IND)

In the first window, Muzamil Hamoda (BRN) was highlighted as the “Player to Watch” based on his performance from the U18 Asian Championship 2018. He responding by being one of the best players on the team with averages of 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Could Window 2 see a similar impactful debut from a U18 Asian Championship 2018 standout?

Seijin Mathew averaged 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest at the U18 Asian Championship 2018 and impressed even more with his athleticism and length. The 20-year-old has been named to India’s final roster as they head on to play in some tough games.

Familiar Face: Amjyot Singh (IND)

India also has another player to watch, but this time it’ll be a player Asia Cup fans are more familiar with.

A veteran with four Asia Cup appearances, Amjyot Singh is expected to be making his first appearance in the Qualifiers this week. The 28-year-old has been a key player for India over the past decade and now he’s back in the lineup, just in time for these important games.

In Asia Cup 2017, Amjyot averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, averages with India are hoping he can replicate or even exceed in this window.

FIBA