BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Al Riyadi will look to create even more separation from the rest of the pack when they take on Sagesse SC in another meeting between the age-old rivals in the 2025-26 FIBA WASL-West Asia League.
The latest chapter of the famed Beirut Derby is set this Wednesday night at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex in Zouk Mikael, with the reigning double champs keen on extending their winning streak to three games.
Since losing to BC Astana in Kazakhstan, Coach Ahmad Farran and his charges have now won two in a row, the most recent a decisive 113-89 victory over Al Wahda SC last January 8 in the very same venue.
That win against their Syrian counterparts gave the Yellow Castle the provisional lead in the standings with a 4-1 record, breaking out of a logjam with Shahrdari Gorgan and Astana as they were all tied at 3-1 prior.
And definitely, they would want to tighten their grasp of the no. 1 position by taking care of business against their age-old rivals when they lock horns again in the game scheduled to tip off at 20:45 local time.
In case you haven't known yet, they have a massive head-to-head advantage against the Green Castle in this league, having won eight of their nine meetings which includes an 87-80 victory last November 12.
"Our target is to finish first in the regular season in order to have the homecourt advantage in the Semi-Finals. This is our aim. Hopefully, we can continue this," said Farran. "All the praise to my players."
Riyadi, however, are under no illusion that it would be easy, for they will be taking on a team that appears to have figured things out after losing their first three games of the season - their worst start in WASL ever.
The Green Castle have barged into the win column at the expense of Al Wahda as well last December 11, a 75-69 decision at the Ghazir Club Stadium in which Paris Bass starred with 23 points and 9 rebounds.
Bass keyed the third-quarter charge to put themselves up for good and it would be interesting to see, no doubt, how the lanky forward would match up against their foes' new acquisition in Nuni Omot.
Omot made his WASL debut against Al Wahda and delivered solidly with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and to think that he hasn't familiarized himself with their scheme of things yet makes it all the more impressive.
Soon he's set to experience his first WASL Derby, and many are waiting to see how this beefed up Riyadi and a hopeful Sagesse would fare against one another in yet another important clash between the two.
The rivalry affair will be the lone WASL-West Asia Game this week as the meeting between Astana and Gorgan supposed to be this Thursday has been postponed due to rising security concerns in Iran.
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