Iran will approach its game against Gilas Pilipinas with caution despite the hosts’ struggles in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Head coach Sotirios Manolopoulos remains wary of a Philippine side that enters the second round with a 2-4 record, particularly because of its players’ vast experience in international competition.
The Iranians, meanwhile, are in the midst of a transition as they give their younger players more opportunities, led by Mo Amini, Mahdi Jafari, Matin Aghajanpour, and Piter Girgoorian. Meanwhile, veterans Arsalan Kazemi and Mohammad Jamshidi provide leadership.
Gilas and Iran will go head-to-head on Sunday at 8:00 PM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, capping a triple-header that also features New Zealand against Syria and Australia against Jordan.
“I think the host is a good team. They have very good and experienced players,” said Manolopoulos after Iran’s 91-93 overtime loss to New Zealand on Friday at the MOA Arena.
“It’s gonna be a tough game. I really have respect for them, for the players and the coach.”
It will be the first FIBA matchup between the Philippines and Iran since the 2019 World Cup, where the West Asians dominated the Filipinos, 95-75, in the classification phase.
Iran holds a 6-1 head-to-head record against the Philippines in FIBA competition, with all seven meetings taking place during the West Asians’ golden era led by NBA veteran Hamed Haddadi.
The Philippines will enter the fourth window and begin its Group E campaign outside the top three after posting a 2-4 record in the first round, including four straight losses to Oceanic powers Australia and New Zealand.
Gilas will face Jordan later in the day as it looks to climb out of the cellar and boost its chances of qualifying for a fourth consecutive World Cup. Only the top three teams from Groups E and F, along with the best fourth-placed team, will earn tickets to next year’s World Cup.
Despite the loss to the Kiwis, Manolopoulos expressed confidence in his team after Iran gave New Zealand a strong challenge and forced overtime despite trailing by double digits in the first half.
“I believe we matched up with New Zealand. We gave them good competition. Today was not our day, so we need to control our emotions; we have to stop thinking about the game and go to the next one,” said the Greek tactician.
