Doha, October 14, 2025 –
Saadoun Sabah Al-Kawari, General Secretary of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, held an extensive coordination meeting with the senior national basketball team’s management, led by Turkish head coach Hakan Demir. The discussions focused on final preparations for Qatar’s upcoming matches against Lebanon in the first window of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.
During the session, Coach Demir reviewed the team’s training program, assessed players’ technical and physical readiness, and addressed psychological and motivational aspects to ensure peak performance in these pivotal games.
Demir emphasized the critical need for focus and discipline at this stage, noting that the showdown with Lebanon represents a key milestone in Qatar’s path to securing qualification for the World Cup finals.
The first match is scheduled for November 27, 2025, in Doha, with the return leg set for November 30, 2025, in Beirut. These fixtures form part of the Asian competitions involving 80 nations worldwide vying for 31 qualifying spots. Qatar enters as the host nation for the 2027 tournament.
The 16 teams in the Asia-Oceania qualifiers were divided into four groups. Qatar was drawn into Group D alongside Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and India. Group A features Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Guam; Group B includes Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan; and Group C comprises Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.
The top three teams from each group advance to the second round, where they will be redivided into two groups. The top three from each of those groups will qualify directly for the World Cup, along with the fourth-placed team with the best record across both groups.
The qualifiers will unfold over six windows spanning 15 months in a home-and-away format, as outlined by FIBA: November 24 to December 2, 2025; February 23 to March 3, 2026; June 29 to July 7, 2026; August 24 to September 1, 2026; November 23 to December 1, 2026; and February 22 to March 2, 2027.
A total of 16 teams from Asia and Oceania, 32 from Europe, 16 from Africa, and 16 from the Americas are participating in the global qualifiers. Qatar will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 from August 27 to September 12, marking the first time the event is held in the Middle East. This adds exceptional significance for the Qatari team on both organizational and competitive fronts.
