Qatar look to revive World Cup qualifying campaign against Japan
TOKYO : Qatar will look to recover from their opening defeat in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 when they face Japan in Tokyo on Monday.
The Group F clash at Toyota Arena Tokyo is important for both teams, with China, Lebanon, South Korea and Saudi Arabia also competing for qualification places.
Qatar opened the second phase with an 83-57 loss to China in Doha last Thursday, while Japan made a strong start by beating Saudi Arabia 106-78.
Qatar coach Hakan Demir has named a 12-player squad for the match, with the coaching staff focusing on improving defensive concentration, reducing turnovers and making better use of scoring opportunities.
The fixture will be the ninth competitive meeting between the teams. FIBA records show Qatar have won five of the previous eight encounters, compared with three victories for Japan.
Japan, however, won the most recent meeting 96-48 in a 2019 World Cup qualifier. Qatar’s last victory came in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, where they edged Japan 75-74.
Qatar will next face South Korea on Nov. 26 before hosting Japan three days later. They will then travel to China and South Korea in February and March 2027.
The team will also compete at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month as part of their preparations for the 2027 World Cup, which Qatar will host.
