FIBA WASL Season 2: Week 8 preview

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - One looks to stay perfect while the others hope to satiate their hunger for a victory in Week 8 of the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Season 2.

Kazma versus Manama

January 15, 2023
Shaikh Saad Alabdullah Sport Hall Complex, Kuwait City, Kuwait
20:00 local time (GMT+3)

Staying unbeaten will be the goal as Manama take on Kazma in yet another meeting between familiar foes on Monday at the Shaikh Saad Alabdullah Sport Hall Complex in Kuwait.

Tip off is set at 20:00 local time, with the reigning FIBA WASL champions looking to go 4-0 to move closer to clinching the top spot of Group B in the Gulf League.

But it would be intriguing to see how this team performs, for they will be resuming their stint without Mosti Rashed. The club agreed to loan the star guard to Qatar just recently.

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Plus, they'd be rolling with another new reinforcement. Last week, Manama announced that they have signed Cameron Clark - that, after letting go of Tony Farmer.

Those are just some of the changes that have taken place over at the team but there are still the remaining pieces such as Sir'Dom Pointer and Travin Thibodeaux, to name a few - pieces which head coach Linos Gavriel would lean on in their ongoing title retention bid.

They're coming into Kuwait with the edge over Kazma but it may become tougher for them this time. Apart from the fact their first meeting this season was a close one, the home team has gained confidence after beating Al Shamal the last time out for their breakthrough win.

Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai versus Al Shamal

January 16, 2023
Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, Dubai, UAE
20:00 local time (GMT+4)

Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai will look to get back on track as they host the winless Al Shamal on Tuesday night at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall.

It would be another home game for the Emirate side and they definitely want to win this time, especially after being left frustrated the last time out following a 73-67 defeat to Manama.

That loss foiled their bid of going 3-0 in the group but all that should be in the past now for Coach Oualid Zrida and his charges, all of them keen on not just returning to the win column but to keep their hopes of reaching the Gulf League Final Phase in a better position alive.

Nick Minnerath, Chavaughn Lewis, and Qais Omar Alshabebi are once again expected to carry the fight for Shabab Al Ahli-Dubai against a team hoping to break through,

Al Shamal remain the only team in the Gulf League yet to win.

Group B (FIBA WASL-GULF)

6/12 games played

		GAMES				STREAK	GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	Last 5	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	Manama	3	3	0	100		265	214	51	88.3	71.3	6
2	Shabab Al Ahli - Dubai	3	2	1	66.7		248	216	32	82.7	72	5
3	Kazma	3	1	2	33.3		257	244	13	85.7	81.3	4
4	Al Shamal	3	0	3	0		209	305	-96	69.7	101.7	3

Al Shorta versus Al Wahda

January 17, 2023
Al Shaeb Hall, Baghdad, Iraq
20:00 local time (GMT+3)

Will it be the time for Al Shorta to get win no. 1? The team sure hopes so when it locks horns with Al Wahda on their own floor at the Al Shaeb Hall in Baghdad on Wednesday.

Game is at 20:00 local time, with the Iraqi side motivated to maximize its homecourt advantage in trying to exact vengeance against the team that beat them in opening week in Syria.

Witnessed by over 8,000 fans live at the Al Fahyaa Stadium in Damascus, Al Shorta lost hold of a nine-point lead early in the fourth and bowed by way of a 74-70 decision.

They do not want any of that to happen in the rematch, and serving as an extra push for them is the fact that they're just one of two teams in the West Asia League that's still winless.

But definitely, Al Wahda would want to sweep their season series, which, if they do so, would also strengthen their bid of a higher finish for the sub-zone league's Final Phase. They're currently at no. 2 in Group B with a 1-1 card, behind the 2-0 Al Riyadi.