Meet the FIBA WASL Gulf teams: Al Rayyan
BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Season 2 of the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) will see two of the most successful ball clubs in FIBA Asia Champions Cup history.
One of which are Qatari side Al Rayyan, who have won FIBA's flagship club competition in the region twice - first in 2002 in Malaysia, and then in 2005 in the Philippines.
Will they add the FIBA WASL title to their collection?
History
Al Rayyan basketball is part of the Al Rayyan Sports Club, which was founded in 1967 when Old Al Rayyan merged with Al Nusoor, a local club also based in Al Rayyan.
The club's hoops team was a founding member of the Qatari Basketball League in 1979 , and eventually became its most successful team with 18 championships thus far.
Al Rayyan have made their mark in other domestic cups as well, having conquered the Emir of Qatar Cup nine times and the Qatar Crown Prince Cup six times.
But it's not just in Qatar where they became triumphant. As mentioned, Al Rayyan have won the FIBA Asia Champions Cup twice. They have also won the Gulf Club Championship in 2002 and 2004.
Emblem
Homecourt
Al Rayyan play their home games at the Al Rayyan Indoor Hall.
Path to FIBA WASL
Al Rayyan qualified by ruling the 2022-23 Qatari Basketball League season. They will be one of two Qatari teams set to play in FIBA WASL, the other being Al Shamal. Both of them are the latest team from the said country to join the league after Al Sadd, who played in Season 1.
Group A
0/12 games played
| GAMES | STREAK | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | Last 5 | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 |  Kuwait Club |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 |  Al Ahli |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 |  Al Rayyan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 |  Al Muharraq Sport Club |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Al Rayyan will play in Group B of the FIBA WASL-Gulf League, where they will take on reigning sub-zone champions Kuwait Club and fellow newcomers Al-Ahli Jeddah and Muharraq.
Players to watch
Intriguing is Al Rayyan's team for the upcoming as it features a mix of youth and experience. Per their roster list, they have two players born in 2008 in Ghanim Nasser Al-Manna and Jassim Alyafei - both of which could be two of the youngest players to play in FIBA's latest pan-regional competition.
One of their reinforcements, meanwhile, is Mouhammad Faye. The 35-year-old big man was part of the Senegal men's teams that competed in the 2014 and 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cups.
There's also Mustapha Heron. Like Faye who's played in the FIBA Europe Cup in the past, the 25-year-old is no stranger to playing in FIBA club contests, having suited up for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Tenerife back in February.
FIBA
