BEIRUT (Lebanon) - It sure is going to be an interesting battle in Group A as the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 2026 is set to get rolling this weekend at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex.
The favorite: Al Riyadi
The pool could stir up some surprises in the Group Phase but there should be no question who the favorite is. It's never easy to bet against Al Riyadi, who are coming in as the league's reigning 2-time champions.
After placing just 4th in the Final 8 inaugurals in Dubai, the pan-regional contest has since been owned by the Lebanese powerhouse, first by winning the 2024 edition in Qatar by beating Sagesse in a dramatic Final.
They needed some stupendous heroics from Wael Arakji before completing their ascension, and then had it much easier in the 2025 competitions at home as they completed a repeat by way of a mighty 5-game sweep.
In fact, that whole season was a perfect run for the Yellow Castle, having accumulated a 13-0 record overall - they won all of their 8 matches in the WASL-West Asia League to complete the first-ever '3-peat' in WASL.
That lengthy unbeaten streak has since come to an end, though, after they absorbed a pair of losses in the 2025-26 festivities. Still, Riyadi finished the Sub-Zone League as its no. 1 team with a solid 6-2 record.
The underdog: Indian Railways
Of the teams competing not just in this pool but in the entire 2026 Final 8 picture, Indian Railways are the only one without any WASL experience. The champion ball club from India is coming in to carry the fight for SABA.
This will be just the second time that a team from the Sub-Zone will be competing in the Final 8, the first being Tamil Nadu, who played in 2024 but bowed out early after losing all of their 3 games in the Group Phase.
Tamil Nadu were supposed to run it back in the following season after conquering their domestic league once more but ultimately withdrew their participation, similar to what the Chennai Heat did in 2023.
Can the Railways give India and SABA their first win in WASL?
Key matchup: Ittihad Club versus Kuwait Club
While we have mentioned Riyadi as the favorite, we shall never overlook the other legit contenders in Group A in Ittihad Club and Kuwait Club - teams that already know what to do in a stage as grand as the Final 8.
The 2-time WASL-Gulf League champions have been to the first 2 editions of WASL's culminating showpiece until their bid of making it a hat-trick of appearances got foiled during the 2024-25 Sub-Zone League knockouts.
The Kuwaitis got dethroned specifically during the Qualification to Semi-Finals by the Tigers of Saudi Arabia, who after a slow start into the season went all the way to the Gulf League Final before bowing to Shabab Al Ahli.
The pain of such a devastating loss won't just go away in a snap and as fate would have it, both squads are bound for a collision course 19 months after their play-in series, serving as another layer to a potential rivalry.
But more than it being a grudge match, their bout - which will actually serve as the opening salvo of the 2026 Final 8 this Saturday - could also be crucial in setting the tone for the whole pool in the Group Phase.
Because based on early projections by fans and observers alike, the battle for the coveted top 2 spots for the Semi-Finals on October 3 could be among the troika - Ittihad, the Brigadiers, and, of course, Riyadi.
The open question: Can Riyadi do it without Wael?
As solid as they have been this season, this is one burning question surrounding the 'treble' seekers. Because based on previous competitions, Riyadi struggled to succeed whenever they missed Wael Arakji's services.
It could be recalled that they lost the former FIBA Asia Cup MVP to a calf injury early in the 2023 Final 8 and although they managed to reach the Semi-Finals, they bowed out and eventually settled for 4th.
Arakji got hurt during the BCL Asia 2025 Group Phase when he suffered a shoulder injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the tournament. His team made it all the way to the Final, but lost to Utsunomiya Brex.
He was expected to suit up for Riyadi this time following a successful stint with Al Ula Club both in the WASL-Gulf League and in Saudi Arabia, but tore his right ACL during the Lebanese Basketball Championship Finals.
Fortunately for the Yellow Castle, they pulled through without him and beat Sagesse in a best-of-7 affair that went the distance, in the process defending their throne to win the crown for a 4th consecutive time.
Definitely, they would want to wield the same magic in their WASL title defense. But can they flip the script this time? That we have to see.
FIBA