Jordan Plays Iraq In FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Jordan faces Iraq on Monday in their second match of Window 2 Asian Group C qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Beirut.

The Kingdom got off to a good start beating Iran 73-60 on Friday to keep their lead atop the table after Syria beat Iraq 78-70.

Jordan's Jalen Harris scored 29 points while Freddie Ibrahim scored 15 and Ahmad Duweiri scored 14 to keep the squad atop the group after three wins.

In other matches so far, Iran beat Iraq 86-71 and 94-68. In Window 1, Jordan beat Syria twice 100-48 and 74-59 in opening Group C qualifiers.

Jordan aims to qualify to the World Cup for the third consecutive and fourth overall time after first qualifying in 2010. The team, 38^th in FIBA rankings and 8^th in Asia, still lacks a solid bench and continues to be carried by veteran Duweiri combining with new naturalized player Harris who led the team with an impressive record 42 points in his FIBA records of the World Cup qualifiers.

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.

At the 31^st FIBA Asia Cup 2025, Jordan's squad failed to keep up the nation's impressive record at the competition with key absences seeing the team fail to reach the quarterfinals, finishing 11^th among 16 competing nations in their 17^th time at the FIBA Asia Cup, after previously, reaching the medals podium twice finishing runner-up in 2011, 3^rd in 2009, 4^th in 2022.

In 2023, Jordan was Asian Games silver medalist, the best Asian 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 3 3 0 247 167 6

Iran 3 2 1 240 212 5

Syria 3 1 2 185 244 4

Iraq 3 0 3 209 258 3

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