TEHRAN – Iran national basketball team are going to meet Qatari club Al Rayyan in a friendly match.

The Iranian team will leave Tehran Monday night for the for Window 2 of FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

Iran are scheduled to meet Saudi Arabia and Syria on Nov. 27 and 30 in Doha, Qatar, but are going to play a friendly match with Al Rayyan ahead of the window.

Al Rayyan are one of the most successful basketball clubs in Qatar, with many domestic and international titles to their name.

Sichuan Blue Whales center Hamed Haddadi cannot join Iran since travel restrictions. Samad Nikkhah Bahrami will also miss the matches because he has recently recovered from Covid-19.

There are 24 teams competing in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. Once the three windows of the Qualifiers conclude, the top two teams in each group will qualify directly to Asia Cup 2021. The six last-placed teams in each group are eliminated.

Meanwhile, the six third-placed teams in each group will then play in a separate qualifying tournament. Teams will be placed into two different groups of three teams. The top two teams of those respective groups will then lock in their spots at Asia Cup 2021, completing the 16-team roster who will also compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers.