Qatar Falls to Australia in FIBA Asia Cup

Doha – August 10, 2025:

Qatar's national basketball team suffered a 110-83 defeat against Australia in a match held at King Abdullah Sports City's "Al Jawhara" Arena in Jeddah, as part of the third and final round of Group A in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. The tournament, organized by FIBA Asia, runs from August 5 to 17 in Saudi Arabia and features 16 Asian national teams.

Australia dominated all four quarters, concluding the first at 22-20, the second at 24-23, widening the gap in the third to 31-20, and sealing the win in the fourth at 33-19.

Qatar entered the game following consecutive losses to Lebanon (84-80) and South Korea (97-83), making the clash against Australia crucial for any remaining qualification hopes. Meanwhile, Australia began their title defense with victories over South Korea (97-61) and Lebanon (93-80).

This result extended Australia's winning streak in the competition to 15 consecutive victories, dating back to their opening win on August 8, 2017, against Japan (84-68) at the Nouhad Nawfal Arena north of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

On the individual front, Brandon Goodwin led Qatar's scoring with 24 points over 40 minutes, shooting 46.15% from the field (5-of-7 two-pointers, 1-of-6 threes, and 11-of-13 free throws). He also contributed 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Tyler Harris added 15 points at a 70% clip inside the arc, while Zinedine Badri scored 13 points with 5 rebounds, and Alen Hadzibegovic tallied 13 points alongside 6 rebounds and notable defensive plays. Babacar Dieng chipped in 14 points, and Mustafa Ndao managed 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting.

For Australia, Jalen Galloway shone with 24 points at an 80% shooting rate (6-of-7 twos, 2-of-3 threes, and 6-of-7 free throws), plus 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Rennie Smith scored 15 points (4-of-6 field goals, 4-of-6 free throws), and William Hickey added 15 points (6-of-10 shooting) with 8 assists. Harry Wessels contributed 8 points in 12 minutes, and Jack McVeigh added 10 points.

Australia achieved a 56.52% field goal percentage (39-of-69) and outrebounded Qatar 45-32.

With this loss, Qatar sits at 3 points in fourth place in the group, while Australia tops the standings with a perfect 6 points.

The Qatari delegation in Jeddah is headed by Mr. Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams. The 12-player roster includes: Brandon Goodwin, Alen Hadzibegovic, Seydou Ndiaye, Zinedine Badri, Tyler Harris, Aladji Magassa, Omar Saad, Mustafa Ndao, Mohamed Bashir, Babacar Dieng, Abdulrahman Saad, and Mahmoud Darwish.