TEHRAN – Iran will host China in the fifth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers on November 11 in Tehran’s Azadi Hall.
Even through the fifth window comes to an end, there’s still plenty to be excited about for the upcoming games ahead.
Whether it’s an Asian Qualifiers rematch with intense history or a heavyweight matchup between Asia basketball powerhouses, there’s a handful of games to mark on your calendars during this window.
It’s been a while, but two of the teams that have dominated Asia basketball since the turn of the millennium are set to clash.
The last time these two faced each other in a major FIBA competition was in the Semi-Finals of Asia Cup 2015 with China winning 70-57 on its way to a 16th title.
However, the three matchups prior to that were won by Iran during the peak of their reign that included three Asia Cup titles. One of those titles - in 2009 - were even won over China with a score of 70-52.
China and Iran are still considered among the top teams in Asia but with Asia Cup 2022 being the first since 1973 without either team on the podium, there are some concerns if they are trending downwards fiba.com reported.
As both teams are still battling for World Cup qualification, this makes it a very important game for each side. Not only would it raise the chances of booking a ticket to the main event next year, it would also give their fans confidence moving forward.
Both China and Iran are expected to parade some of the best in their national team pool, highlighted by a possible clash between Zhou Qi and Hamed Haddadi, so make sure to tune in for this one.