Players preparing for the decider.

KUWAIT CITY, March 24: Al-Qadsiya will play against Al-Ittihad Jeddah of Saudi Arabia today at 10:00 pm at the Basketball Federation Hall at Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Complex. The match, held under the slogan "The Winner is Born," is crucial as the victorious team will secure a spot in the Asian Basketball League West (Super League) final for the Gulf region, while the losing team will be eliminated from the competition.

This is the third and final match between the two teams in their playoff series. Both teams have won one match each in the best-of-three format. Al-Qadsiya won the first match 82-69 in Kuwait, while Al-Ittihad claimed a 74-71 victory in Jeddah. Today’s match will determine the series winner.

The teams have met four times this season, with Al-Qadsiya emerging victorious in three of those encounters, while Al-Ittihad won its only match in the fourth meeting. American coach Anthony Stebbing is eager to guide Al-Qadsiya to its first-ever Gulf Super League final. Stebbing’s squad includes standout players such as Abdulaziz Al-Humaidi, Abdulmohsen Al-Moussawi, Rashed Al-Rabah, Mohammed Ashkanani, Abdullah Tawfiq, Hassan Bourmiah, Nawaf Al-Enezi, and American professionals David Elono, Cedric Henry, and Jonathan Williams.

On the other side, Greek-Slovenian coach Slobodan Subotic, who recently led Al-Ittihad to the Saudi League title, is confident that his team’s high morale will propel them toward success in the Asian Championship.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff