BEIRUT (Lebanon) - For the first time ever, Qatar will be represented in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) Final 8 as Al Arabi SC are all set to wave the flag in the 2026 competitions that starts this Saturday.
Tournament history
This is actually the Red Devils' second straight stint in the pan-regional contest but it is only this season that they qualified to the culminating showpiece, thanks to the experiences they gained in their first foray.
The team did compete during their 2024-25 debut but it was quite unfortunate that they were situated in a tough Group B, which featured inaugural WASL champions Manama, Ittihad Club, and Al Qadsia SC.
Al Arabi did pull off upsets against Manama and Qadsia, but those proved to be the only wins of their maiden run. In fact, their run ended at the hands of Qadsia, who eventually clinched the no. 1 spot in the pool.
The Qatar Basketball League outfit finished with a 2-4 record.
Sub-Zone League run
Coincidentally, it was their exact same record in the 2025-26 WASL-Gulf League Group Phase. The difference is that they were good enough to finish at 3rd in Group B behind top seed Al Ula and Kuwait Club.
With that, they advanced to the Qualification to Semi-Finals, which was already a marked improvement from the previous season. But the Red Devils weren't just happy to be there; they wanted to prove they belong.
Surely, they did just that by pulling off a reverse series sweep against no less than Shabab Al Ahli in the Semi-Finals' play-in, which ousted their UAE counterparts from their reign as Sub-Zone League champions.
It marked the second straight time in the WASL-Gulf League that the reigning titlist got ousted in the said stage, the first being Kuwait Club when their 'three-peat' hopes ended at the hands of Ittihad last season.
By slaying a league pioneer, Al Arabi forged a Semi-Finals showdown with Al Ula although that did not push through after the season got paused. Fortunately, they're both drawn in Group B of the 2026 Final 8.
Definitely one of our games to watch out for.
Players to watch
But once they lock horns again, gone are the familiar faces that played during their WASL-Gulf League duels earlier in the season, most especially on the side of the Arabian Leopards as they bid farewell to the 'Big 3.'
Over at the Red Devils' camp, it will practically be the same team, with South Sudan men's team winger Peter Jok the only new addition. The former Iowa Hawkeye is set to make his FIBA club competition debut.
Set to lead Al Arabi's attack once more will be Bahraini star Mosti Rashed, who recently inked a fresh deal that locked him with the ball club for 2 more years as both parties have been enjoying a fruitful partnership.
Coming back as well is 2024 BCL Asia champion Elmedin Kikanovic and Sindou Diallo, both of whom have proven to be solid reinforcements for a local crew led by Abdulrahman Saad and Khaled Abdelbaset.
FIBA