FIBA Basketball reported that Mathna Almarwani came through with the biggest shot of his career as Ittihad Club edged Kuwait Club 64-63 in the winner-take-all game of their Qualification to Semi-Finals series in Jeddah. The narrow win completed a sweep of the two-time Gulf League champions and prevented Kuwait Club from reaching the semi-finals for the first time in the competition’s short history. The result also eliminated the Kuwaiti side from contention for the 2025 WASL Final 8 where only the top three teams from the sub-zone league advance. Kuwait Club had been aiming to become the first team to claim three consecutive Gulf League titles after dominating the previous two seasons.
According to the FIBA game report the tightly contested matchup saw both sides exchange the lead several times in the fourth quarter before Ittihad Club’s defense forced a miss from JaKarr Sampson as time expired. The Saudi Arabian club punched its ticket to the semi-finals where it was scheduled to face Al Qadsia SC in a best-of-three series. This victory represented a significant milestone for Saudi basketball as Ittihad Club became just the second team from the kingdom to advance this far in the Gulf League.
FIBA data places Kuwait Club as the inaugural 2022-23 WASL-Gulf League champion after it swept Bahrain’s Manama Club in the finals and repeated as champion in 2023-24 by defeating the same opponent in a three-game series. The club had qualified for the Final 8 in both of those seasons and reached the overall championship game during the league’s first edition before falling to Manama. Their group stage performance in 2024-25 saw them post a strong 5-1 record yet they could not overcome the knockout hurdle against Ittihad Club.
The FIBA report listed JaKarr Sampson as the leading scorer for Kuwait Club with 25 points and 13 rebounds in what proved to be a disappointing debut for new head coach Oliver Kostic. Mohammed Almarwani posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for Ittihad Club while his teammate Mathna Almarwani sealed the outcome with a clutch basket. Coach Slobodan Subotic’s squad relied on stout defense in the final moments to secure the upset and advance deeper into the tournament than any Saudi team since Al Hilal in the 2022-23 season.
FIBA previews have described the 2024-25 campaign as a turning point for the Gulf League with new teams emerging to challenge the established order. Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE ultimately claimed the sub-zone title that year by defeating Ittihad Club in the final according to FIBA Basketball’s historical records. The overall WASL crown went to Al Riyadi of Lebanon for the second consecutive season highlighting the growing competitiveness across the West Asia region.
FIBA Basketball’s coverage noted that Kuwait Club responded to the elimination by refocusing on domestic competition where it swept Kazma to win the 2024-25 Kuwaiti Division 1 title and regain entry to the WASL Gulf League. The club has since participated in subsequent editions including the 2025-26 season where it advanced to the semi-finals once again. This resilience has positioned the Brigadiers for continued contention in the evolving regional basketball landscape.
