BASKETBALL – MUHARRAQ will face off against Qatar’s Al Rayyan in their final, must-win Group A match of the 2023-24 West Asia Super League (WASL)-Gulf Region at the Zain Basketball Arena tonight.
The Bahrain club are currently second in the four-team table with eight points from three wins and two defeats in five games, behind Kuwait Club, who also have eight points, but head the table because of cumulative points difference.
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan, who have seven points from two wins and three losses in their five games, will be seeking to avenge their 79-65 defeat to Muharraq in Doha last December. A win would push their points tally to nine.
Kuwait Club will also be in action tonight as they take on Al Ahli-Jeddah, who also have seven points from two wins and three defeats, before a home crowd in Kuwait. While the Kuwaiti side are fancied to win, the Saudi club will have grown in confidence after defeating Muharraq, 95-65, in Jeddah 12 days ago and could yet sneak a win that could push their points tally up to nine.
Muharraq, who have made their debut in the WASL this season, succumbed to Kuwait Club, 108-92, in their opening match at home before reeling off three victories in a row by defeating Al Ahli-Jeddah, 94-80, at home; Al Rayyan, 79-65, in Doha and Kuwait Club, 101-96, in the return fixture in Kuwait.
Al Ahli-Jeddah ended that winning streak at the end of January but Muharraq will be confident about their prospects against Al Rayyan as they look to close the group stage out with a win that could propel them to the top of the table.
Al Rayyan, however, will be no pushovers and will also be high on confidence after defeating Kuwait Club, 94-90, in their last game at the end of January which ended a string of three consecutive defeats – 89-84 to Al Ahli-Jeddah; 79-65 to Muharraq and 85-62 to Kuwait Club – after they had begun their season with a morale-boosting 98-88 victory over Al Ahli-Jeddah.
The game begins at 9pm.