ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - The current FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 2026 appears to be the toughest test of Al Riyadi in this league to date, given the challenges hounding the 'three-peat' seekers.
Coach Ahmad Farran & Co. are trying to fast-track the chemistry of this practically new team, as they didn't have the luxury of getting much-needed reps entering the pan-regional contest's culminating showpiece.
"We have three foreigners, three new players, and we are trying to make them fit in our chemistry. It's a challenging situation for us, as always," he said after their Opening Night win versus Indian Railways Saturday.
It's a different squad from the one that helped the club rule the 2025-26 Lebanese Basketball Championship just last August, wherein they took down age-old rivals Sagesse SC in a best-of-7 series that went the limit.
Gone are the reinforcements such as Nuni Omot, Perin Buford, and Maurice Kemp, all of whom also helped the Yellow Castle to a top-seed finish in the WASL-West Asia League earlier this season with a 6-2 record.
We try to cope with any team we have.
The troika have since been replaced by the comebacking Zach Lofton, former WASL-Gulf League winger Nick West, and Donovan Williams, as among the new signings of the club for the 2026-27 competitions.
Aside from the foreign players, Riyadi have picked up ex-Sagesse forward Naim Rabay and welcomed back 43-year-old guard Ali Mahmoud, who played for the team during the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
While some of them have been familiar with how the Lebanese powerhouse does things, Farran would of course prefer for his wards to be as prepared as they can be entering any tournament, especially the Final 8.
However, time constraints threw a monkey wrench on their plans. Their domestic league ended only last August 3, and the brain trust obviously gave the players enough time to rest and recover their banged-up bodies.
The peculiarity of the 2026 Final 8's schedule, Farran admitted, is also a test on its own - the contest is usually held around May, but the situation in the region led to it being held shortly after summer for this year.
"To start the season with a major tournament is not easy, especially since we didn't play games," he said, noting that their opener against the SABA representatives was actually their first official game together.
Fortunately for him, the core is still there for Riyadi. The coaches still have the regulars in Amir Saoud, Hayk Gyokchyan, Karim Zeinoun, Ali Mansour, and Bilal Tabbara to lean on in their bid to make more history.
It could've been better had Wael Arakji not suffered an ACL injury during their Finals clash with the Green Castle. But Farran would rather focus on the pieces that he has at the moment - and do what they have to do.
"We try to cope with any team we have. We built this team, I built this team. And I'm totally satisfied with my players," he said. "Last season, we finished 3rd of August; it was a totally different team with lots of injuries."
"Thank God now, our local players who were the main players that won the title for us are present now," he furthered. "We need to deal with this situation. I trust my players, and I have full confidence in them."
FIBA