DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - The race to the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) title is about to get even more intense with the Final 8 Semi-Finals all set on Friday.

The knockout stages will commence at 19:00 local time at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, with BC Astana and Manama raising the curtains of the double-header offering to be capped by another heavyweight clash featuring Al Riyadi and Kuwait Club at 21:45.

14 June 2023

 BC Astana vs  Manama
19:00 local time (GMT+4)
Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall

 Al Riyadi vs  Kuwait Club
21:45 local time (GMT+4)
Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall

Champion versus champion

Much of the attention are on Friday's nightcap as it will be the much-anticipated between the first-ever WASL-West Asia League and WASL-Gulf League champions.

Fans and pundits actually believe that both Al Riyadi and Kuwait Club are destined to meet one another later in the Final 8, and it's all happening now with something so big at stake: a ticket to the championship round for a chance to become the first-ever WASL kings.

The Lebanese champions were actually the first to reach the Semis after sweeping Group A, where they beat WASL-Gulf runners-up Manama and domestic foes Beirut Club.

However, the team of Coach Ahmad Farran are coming into the Final Phase undermanned. They will have to finish their Final 8 campaign without point guards Wael Arakji and Ali Mansour, who suffered injuries in the Group Phase and will both have to sit out for one month.

That leaves Al Riyadi with 10 players against Kuwait Club, who are out for redemption after witnessing the crushing end of their unbeaten streak in WASL at the hands of Astana.

Kuwait Club won 12 consecutive games dating back to the WASL-Gulf Group Phase before bowing to their Kazakhstani counterparts, who then clinched the top spot of Group B with a 3-0 card.

As tough as that streak-buster was, the reigning Kuwaiti D1 League champions actually afforded to lose that one, since they were already assured of a spot in the Semis.

Expected to banner the attack for Coach Peter Schomers are of course, the tried and tested tandem of Cady Lalanne and Marcus Georges-Hunt, plus Thon Maker and the Hasan Bros.

They are expected to figure in a tough battle against Al Riyadi, who despite missing their main playmakers, can still bank on Duop Reath, Kevin Murphy, Amir Saoud, and Hayk Gyokchyan.

New kids, or the comeback kids?

Not to be forgotten in Friday's affair is of course the opening game between Astana and Manama, two teams that do not have any shortage whatsoever of motivation.

The Central Asia representatives, for one, are out to make a statement here in the Final 8 being the new faces in the field. They've done that so far by beating Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai, WASL-West Asia runners-up Shahrdary Gorgan, and then that  conquest of Kuwait Club.

A big reason behind their success has been Karvel Anderson, who is the Final 8's leading scorer with 24.3 points per outing. Providing valuable support are Markell Johnson and Martin Krampelj, with the seasoned tandem of Rustam Murzagaliyev and Dmitriy Gavrilov adding more leadership.

But surely, they aren't satisfied by just sweeping their group. Astana would want to bring home that WASL trophy, and they could earn a shot by beating Manama.

The Bahrain champions, though, won't definitely be going easy on them.  They're out to earn the chance of getting the biggest prize in all of WASL after falling short of winning the Gulf title.

Who knows, maybe the wards of Coach Linos Gavriel could replicate what they did in the sub-zone league's Final Phase months ago, where they swept their way into the championship series after losing their Qualification to Semi-Finals' opening game against Kazma.

Manama lost their first game of the Final 8 against Al Riyadi, but bounced back two nights later against Beirut Club to catch the last bus en route to the Semi-Finals.

Shades of the past, perhaps? The only thing missing is Lamont 'Momo' Jones, but Jeremy Evans and Sir'Dom Pointer have been providing the veteran presence that's positively accepted by the younger wards such as like Mosti Rashed, Ahmed Haji, and Mohammed Hamooda.

Winners of the knockout crossover Semis will vie for the WASL trophy on Saturday night in a winner take-all affair. Losing sides, meanwhile, will figure in a Third-Place Game.

FIBA