To say that Gilas Pilipinas faces a tall order in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers could be more than just an understatement.
The Filipino dribblers are set to face Australia and New Zealand in Group A following the draw proceedings held at ALHAZM in Qatar on Tuesday night.
So, that’s two teams that belong to the Top 25 of the FIBA World Ranking for Men that the Philippines will lock horns with, with the Boomers — the reigning two-time FIBA Asia Cup champions — at no.7 and the Tall Blacks at 22nd.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Gilas will also be playing the Tall Blacks in the 2025 Asia Cup as the budding rivals got drawn in Group D of the continental showpiece set for August.
The Philippines recently went 1-1 with the Tall Blacks in the Asia Cup qualis.
On the other hand, the Boomers will make their return to the Philippines in one of the windows for the first time since the infamous brawl at the Philippine Arena.
Guam is the other team in arguably the ‘group of death,’ meaning that the Southeast Asian powerhouse will have to face all three Oceania teams in the first round of the home-and-away, six-window Qualifiers that start in November.
Multiple sources closely monitoring the situation have also confirmed to Tiebreaker Times that Gilas’ first home game in the qualifiers will be played at SM Seaside Arena in Cebu.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Ranked no.88, the team — for which San Miguel winger Jericho Cruz plays — earned its ticket after qualifying for the 2025 Asia Cup.
It won’t be an easy road ahead for Gilas, who will have to finish in the Top 3 of the group in order to advance to the second round.
The top three teams in Group A will join the three best teams of Group C, which features traditional contenders Iran and Jordan, plus Syria and Iraq.
And together, the six will comprise Group E in the second round, with Group F to be made up of the top three squads of Group B and Group D.
Group B has Japan, China, Korea, Chinese Taipei, while Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, and World Cup hosts Qatar make up Group D.
The top four teams of each group in the second round will then punch their tickets to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, which will be the third successive edition of the quadrennial event to be held in Asia.
