BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Al Riyadi will look to keep in step with Shahrdari Gorgan atop the West Asia League standings when the 2025-26 FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) plunges back into action this week.
The Yellow Castle are presently at no. 2 with a 2-0 card behind their Iranian foes, who improved to 3-0 after being awarded a 20-0 win following Al Wahda SC's forfeiture in their supposed game last November 18.
Standings as of November 19, 2025:
Definitely, they'd want to collect their third win in as many games to gain a share of the no. 1 spot when they take on BC Astana on Wednesday night in the latter's own stomping grounds at the Saryarka Velodrome.
Match is scheduled at 20:45 Kazakhstan time, with the Sub-Zone League's 'four-peat' seekers setting their sights on extending mastery over the long-time Kazakhstan Basketball Championship powerhouse.
After losing in the Third-Place Game of the WASL Final 8 inaugurals, Riyadi would go on to win their next two meetings in the same stage convincingly, having won by an average margin of 33.5 points.
But they know, too, that it would be challenging to accomplish as much. They will be facing Astana on their home floor for the first time, and their rivals have shown how much of a difference homecourt edge could be.
That happened last November 18, when Robert Pan & Co. stunned another old tormentor in Sagesse SC by way of a 71-62 decision for win no. 1 - and make the very first WASL game in the country all the more memorable.
The Green Castle fell to 0-3 following the result in easily their worst start in the league ever. But a chance to break that dry spell lies ahead this week, when they host Al Wahda SC on Thursday night in Beirut.
Both teams have yet to post a win this season, and so it would be interesting to see which of them can finally get on board when they lock horns at the Ghazir Club Stadium in their clash set for a 17:45 local time tip-off.
Of course, much of the attention would be on Sagesse on how - and if - they'd be able to rise from this rough start. But some have their eyes set on the Syrian side as well, curious if they can finally snatch a win in Beirut.
It could be recalled that Al Wahda came so close in doing so last November 6 when they gave Riyadi a long night at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex, but couldn't find the finishing kick and bowed in the end, 89-80.
Soon they're facing another Lebanese side in a bid to get their breakthrough win, coming in with extra motivation after getting swept by Sagesse in their Qualification to Semi-Finals series back in the 2023-24 season.
The 2025-26 WASL competitions are back in play after giving way to the highly successful Window 1 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. To know more about the upcoming games, click here.
FIBA