Qatar Basketball Federation President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaisib presents the trophy.
Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi clinched the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) League title for the 2025-2026 season, sealing the prestigious title for a third time in a row, with a 91-79 win over Al Rayyan in the second game of the best-of-three finals at Al Gharafa Hall yesterday.
Al Arabi had won the opening final 79-71.
Yesterday, Al Arabi set the tone early with an aggressive approach, applying pressure on Al Rayyan to build a 28-18 lead in the opening quarter. Al Rayyan responded in the second quarter and won the period 27-18 to level the contest at halftime.
After the break, Al Arabi fought back to edge the third quarter 18-14 to regain control in the final quarter to win 27-20 and secure the team’s 11th League title without the need for a decider.
Among Al Arabi’s key players who delivered strong numbers in the title-clinching win were Abdulrahman Saad, Elmedin Kikanovic and Mustafa Husein. Saad led the score sheet with an all-round effort of 24 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Kikanovic added 16 points and 13 rebounds, completing a double-double, in addition to making six assists in 40 minutes.
Abdelrahman Abdelhaleem added 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, while Sindou Ismael Diallo chipped in with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists to power Al Arabi’s strong show.
For Al Rayyan, Rion Cortez Brown led with 18 points and 14 rebounds, securing a double-double along with 3 assists, while Malik Romero Curry added 17 points, 6 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists.
Speaking after the victory, Al Arabi’s Mustafa Rashed said the final proved demanding, with the outcome decided in the closing minutes. He credited the team’s experience and ability to correct mistakes under pressure as key factors behind the victory.
Teammate Abdulrahman Saad described the campaign as one of the toughest in recent seasons, and praised Al Rayyan as a strong and disciplined opponent.
QBF President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaisib praised Al Arabi’s title-winning campaign as well as Al Rayyan's fighting spirit.
“We congratulate Al Arabi on this great achievement, which reflects long-term institutional work. We witnessed a final series of high technical quality that demonstrates the progress of Qatari basketball. We also value Al Rayyan’s strong season and their competitiveness until the last moments,” Al Mughaisib said.
