WASL West Asia Picture Becoming Clear: Astana Close to First Place as Semi-Final Matchups Take Shape

With only a few games left in the FIBA WASL West Asia regular phase, the picture is becoming clearer, and everything points toward two heavyweight semi-final matchups that could define the tournament.

At this stage, there is a very strong chance that the West Asia Semi-Finals will shape up as:

Astana vs Sagesse

Riyadi vs Gorgan

Image : WASL

Image : WASL

The current standings explain why this scenario is taking form:

1. Astana (5–1)

2. Riyadi (4–2)

3. Gorgan (3–2)

4. Sagesse (2–4)

5. Al Wahda (0–5)

Astana currently sit at the top with a 5–1 record and still have two games remaining in Lebanon, against Riyadi and Al Wahda. On paper, Astana should handle Al Wahda, which would push their record to 6–1 and further solidify their position as table leaders.

That leaves Riyadi with one clear mission: beat Astana next week — and not just win, but win by at least 14 points. Astana won the first leg (“aller”) by 13 points, meaning Riyadi need a +14 victory to swing the head-to-head tiebreaker and finish first.

If that does not happen, Astana are almost guaranteed to stay in first place, while Riyadi would remain second.

Behind them, Gorgan are sitting third and Sagesse fourth, a combination that naturally sets up a Riyadi vs Gorgan semi-final and an Astana vs Sagesse showdown.

For Sagesse, despite the struggles and the 2–4 record, simply reaching the semi-finals keeps the door open. But finishing fourth means drawing the hottest team in the competition — Astana — a very tough reward.

For Riyadi, the matchup against Astana is now bigger than just a win or loss. It could decide first place, dictate the semi-final opponent, and possibly avoid a dangerous early clash.

Everything is pointing toward an explosive final stretch in West Asia, where point differential, head-to-head results, and one big game in Lebanon may completely reshape the bracket. The margins are thin, the pressure is high, and the road to the Final Four is starting to take its final shape.