Doha – January 24, 2026:
The Al Gharafa Hall witnessed decisive matches on the evening of Saturday, January 24, 2026, as part of the second division of the General Basketball League championship for the 2025-2026 sports season. Al Wakrah and Al Arabi teams secured victories over Qatar Club and Al Gharafa respectively, strongly reshuffling the competition for the top positions in the standings.
In the Al Wakrah vs. Qatar Club match, which featured a high technical level characterized by balance and competitiveness, both teams started cautiously, ending the first quarter tied at 23-23. Al Wakrah began to show tactical superiority in the second quarter, benefiting from its players’ movements and solid defensive organization, taking a 6-point lead at 26-20.
Qatar Club responded in the third quarter with balanced offense and tight defensive pressure, gaining a slight advantage with a 23-19 score, making the match extremely intense heading into the decisive final quarter.
Al Wakrah regained its balance in the fourth quarter and demonstrated high ability in capitalizing on offensive opportunities, scoring 24 points against 19 for the “Qatari King” (Qatar Club), securing the win by 7 points in a result that reflected a closely contested battle between two teams seeking to strengthen their league positions.
On the players’ front, Joshua Maurice Nicholas, star of Qatar Club, shone by scoring 25 points while earnestly trying to elevate his team’s performance. Meanwhile, Bakary Kamara was a cornerstone for Al Wakrah with 22 points, in addition to the standout performance from Al Wakrah’s player Gwei Momar Tala, who won the award for Best Qatari Player of the Match worth $100, sponsored by Musafir Company, in recognition of his excellence throughout the game.
Thanks to this victory, Al Wakrah raised its tally to 24 points, placing fifth, while Qatar Club reached 18 points in eighth place.
In the second match, Al Arabi delivered a strong basketball performance, managing to defeat Al Gharafa with a score of 117-97 in a game that featured remarkable offensive brilliance.
Al Arabi dominated the proceedings from the start, securing the first quarter 31-28 and continuing to widen the gap in the second quarter by scoring 29 points against 16 for Al Gharafa, providing the team with a significant morale boost.
Despite Al Gharafa’s attempts to comeback in the third quarter, Al Arabi maintained its superiority by scoring 32 points against 29, taking the match to the final quarter with mutual enthusiasm, where Al Arabi sealed the win by a 25-24 margin in that period.
Bahraini Mustafa Hussein, Al Arabi’s star, was the top scorer of the match with 31 points, delivering a strong performance that helped his team strengthen its league standing. Meanwhile, Joshua Caron Lee Hall scored 28 points for Al Gharafa, attempting to lead his team to a positive result.
Othman Diatta Deng, player of Al Arabi Club, won the award for Best Qatari Player of the Match worth $100, sponsored by Musafir Company, in appreciation of his level in the game.
Following this victory, Al Arabi’s points rose to 26 after 14 matches, placing it in second position in the league, 3 points behind the leader Al Rayyan, who has played one more game, while Al Gharafa’s tally reached 21 points, tying with Al Shamal in the league standings.