Gilas Pilipinas can make most of turmoil within the Iran camp in their must-win Fiba World Cup qualifier in Manila
- Philippines look to bounce back from their shock defeat by Kazakhstan on Friday
- Iran are in chaos with top player Hamed Haddadi and others refusing to be part of the squad
Gilas Pilipinas will be hoping to take advantage of conflict within the Iranian camp as they try to get their Fiba World Cup qualifying campaign back on track on Monday.
The Philippines lost 92-88 to Kazakhstan on Friday, just three months after comfortably beating the Central Asian side at the Jakarta Games in August. The Gilas defeat helped Iran, who lost heavily to Australia in another group F game, stay in second place in the standings.
Iran’s 76-47 loss to Australia on Friday highlights the turmoil the team are going through, with the absence of their star player, former NBA player Hamed Haddadi, and the refusal of six players to join the squad on their Asian swing.
“The Iran team has not had a good time these day and is facing a serious crisis,” said Iran’s Parsine website. “With the absence of Iran’s stars, the weakness of the team has increased.”
Haddadi was injured and sat on the bench when Iran beat Philippines in Tehran in September. However, he has since refused to play for the team even after recovering, with reports indicating he was unhappy with the support he received during his injury.