Iran prepares for FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Lebanon
The Iranian national basketball team, currently in Lebanon for the first FIBA World Cup qualifying window, is ready to compete after adding key legionnaires to its roster. Under the guidance of coach Sotirios Manolopoulos, the team is set to showcase its full potential, and fans are eager to see how the players will perform on the court.
Due to recent developments, both of Iran’s upcoming matches against Iraq in this window will take place at a neutral venue in Lebanon. However, in future windows, the Iranian “Skycrapers” are expected to host their opponents in Tehran, giving local fans the chance to cheer their team on at home, according to IRNA.
Following Iran’s bronze medal finish at the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, the national team has strengthened further with the addition of players such as Behnam Yakhchali, boosting the team’s depth and competitiveness. The only setback at this stage is the injury to Mohammad Amini, who suffered an injury during his last training session with French club Nancy and will be sidelined for a while. Despite this, the rest of the national squad is fully fit and ready to compete, demonstrating that Iran is bringing its full strength to the World Cup qualifiers—a positive sign for the team and its supporters.
The qualifiers are organized into four groups, with Iran placed in Group C alongside Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. According to FIBA, Iran is ranked as the second-strongest team in the qualifiers, just behind Australia and ahead of China and New Zealand.
Group A features Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Guam, while Group B includes Japan, China, South Korea, and the Philippines. Group D consists of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, and Qatar.
Iran will compete in Lebanon with a lineup that includes Arsalan Kazemi, Arman Zangeneh, Navid Rezaeifar, Mohammad Sina Vahedi, Mobin Sheikhi, Matin Aghajanpour, Mehdi Jafari, Jalal Aghamiri, Mohammad Mehdi Heydari, Hassan Aliakbari, Amirhossein Azari, Behnam Yakhchali, Salar Monji, and Piter Girgoorian, all under the leadership of coach Manolopoulos. The team’s goal is to secure a victory against Iraq, building on a favorable historical record in which Iran has won two of the last three encounters between the two sides.
FIBA has scheduled the first match between Iran and Iraq for today (November 27), with the return match set for November 30, both to be held in Beirut. The Iranian team aims to demonstrate its strength and cohesion on the international stage, laying a strong foundation for future qualifying windows.