Doha – December 29, 2025:
Al Arabi Club continued its strong pursuit of Al Rayyan at the top of the Qatari Basketball League standings this season, as both teams emerged victorious from their respective matches against Al Wakrah and Al Gharafa on the evening of Monday, December 29, 2025, at Al Gharafa Club Hall, as part of the second division competitions.
In the first match, Al Rayyan confirmed its deserved lead in the standings by securing a well-earned victory over Al Gharafa with a score of 101-82. The “Terrifying” team dominated from the opening whistle until the final buzzer, thanks to tactical discipline and offensive efficiency.
Al Rayyan ended the first quarter with a comfortable lead (28-15), benefiting from good spacing and quick transitions from defense to offense. It maintained its relative superiority in the second quarter, which ended in its favor (20-19), preserving its comfort at halftime.
Upon returning from the break, Al Rayyan noticeably increased the pace and widened the gap in the third quarter, which it clearly won (34-22), practically putting the game out of reach. Despite an improved performance by Al Gharafa in the fourth quarter, where it won (26-19), it was not enough to reverse the outcome or threaten Al Rayyan’s victory.
The match witnessed outstanding performances from Al Gharafa’s Giorgios Mikoniatis and Al Rayyan’s star Babacar Dieng, who shared the top scorer position with 21 points each, delivering impressive individual performances despite the differing team fortunes.
Al Rayyan’s player Babacar Dieng was awarded the title of Best Qatari Player of the match, along with a cash prize of $100, presented by Al Masafir Company in recognition of his impactful contribution throughout the four quarters.
With this victory, Al Rayyan raised its tally to 19 points from 10 matches, strengthening its position at the top of the overall standings, while Al Gharafa reached 12 points from the same number of matches, remaining in eighth place.
In the second match, Al Arabi Club continued its strong performances this season, securing an important victory over Al Wakrah with a score of 113-66. The “Arabi” team demonstrated a clear desire to stay close to the top and not relinquish any points.
Al Arabi delivered a remarkable offensive performance across all four quarters, with results as follows: 26-15, 26-12, 37-19, and 24-20, amid near-total control of the game in terms of possession, collective movements, and variety of offensive solutions.
Al Arabi’s player Demarquis Bost stood out as the top scorer with 21 points, confirming his technical value and pivotal role in the team’s system, while Al Wakrah’s Mami Souley N’Dour was the most prominent offensive player for his team with 16 points in a match where Al Wakrah attempted to match Al Arabi’s pace without complete success.
Al Arabi’s player Othman Dieng Ding was awarded the title of Best Qatari Player of the match, along with a cash prize of $100, presented by Al Masafir Company, after scoring 18 points for his team.
With this win, Al Arabi maintained second place by raising its tally to 18 points, just one point behind the leader Al Rayyan, keeping the battle for the top open, while Al Wakrah reached 15 points to occupy sixth place, tied with Al Shamal and Al Sadd in fourth and fifth positions.
The current season of the Qatari Basketball League features an innovative competitive system in the decisive stages, aimed at increasing excitement and raising the level of competition until the final moments of the tournament.
The “Play-In” stage is held among teams ranked from third to sixth, where the third-place team faces the fourth in a direct matchup, with the winner advancing to the semifinals to meet the second-place team.
Conversely, the fifth-place team faces the sixth, with the loser officially exiting the competition, while the winner continues by facing the loser of the third-vs-fourth match in a decisive game to determine the second team qualifying for the semifinals.
The semifinals and “Play-Offs” stages are held under the best-of-three format to determine the two teams advancing to the final match, concluding a season expected to be among the most competitive and exciting in the history of Qatari basketball.