Jordan Plays Iran, Iraq In FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Jordan's basketball squad plays two matches this week as Window 2 Asian Group C qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup tip off in Beirut.

The Kingdom will play Iran on Friday before playing Iraq on March 2. In Window 1, Jordan beat Syria twice 100-48 and 74-59 in opening Group C qualifiers to top the group after Iran beat Iraq 86-71 and 94-68.

Jordan, 38th in FIBA rankings and 8th in Asia, hopes to qualify to the World Cup for the third consecutive and fourth overall time after first qualifying in 2010. However, the team is grappling with a lineup revamp and will again be carried by veteran Ahmad Duweiri combining with new naturalized player Jalen Harris who led the team with an impressive record 42 points in his last match rewriting FIBA qualifying records, including being in the top five 3-point shots in a single game and 9th-ever 40-point game total in the history of the World Cup qualifiers, and the second-most points by a player in a World Cup qualifying game.

The 16 Asian teams contesting the qualifiers in four groups are: Group A: Australia, New Zealand, Philippines and Guam; Group B: Japan China Korea and Chinese Taipei; Group D: Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India and Qatar. 12 teams will advance to the next round of qualifying from which the group leaders will advance to the World Cup with the fourth best team

A total of 80 national squads from the four FIBA regions are playing FIBA World Cup qualifiers in six windows from November 2025 to March 2027 following which 5 teams from Africa, 7 from the Americas, 7 from Asia, and 12 from Europe will advance to the 2027 World Cup in Doha, Qatar which is a direct qualifier for 7 national teams to the 2028 Olympic Games.

Jordan's last roster at the 31st FIBA Asia Cup 2025 failed to keep up the nation's impressive record at the competition with key absences like Ahmad Duweiri, Rondae Jefferson, Amin Abu Hawas, Sami Bzai' among others. Naturalised player Dar Tucker carried the team together with Ahmad Hamarsheh, who were joined by newcomers like Abdullah and Abdulrahman Olajuwon - the sons of NBA legend Hakim. Tucker was the only player scoring an average of 20 points per game and helped carry the team surpassing 1000 points since he joined Jordan in 2016.

It was Jordan's 17th time at the FIBA Asia Cup, and the team failed to reach the quarterfinals, finishing 11th among 16 competing nations., after previously, reaching the medals podium twice finishing runner-up in 2011 and 3rd in 2009. They were 4th in 2022.

Jordan's Zeid Alkhas and naturalized Rasheim Wright are on the list of highest scoring averages in the tournament while Lebanon's Fadi Khatib and Iran's Hamed Haddadi lead the all-time top scorers, with Wright 7th.

In 2023, Jordan was Asian Games silver medalist, the best result for a team sport after qualifying to the FIBA World Cup in 2010, 2019 and 2023.

Group C

Team P W L SF SA PTS

Jordan 2 2 0 174 107 4

Iran 2 2 0 180 139 4

Iraq 2 0 2 139 180 2

Syria 2 0 2 107 174 2

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