Japan men's national team to play Lebanon and Qatar on the road in November

The Japan men's national team will play two road games in November in Group F of the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. In Window 5, Japan will face Lebanon on November 26 and Qatar on November 29, each at the opponent's home venue.

The group consists of six teams: Lebanon, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan. The top three teams in each group, plus the best fourth-place team, earn places in the World Cup. As host, Qatar has already qualified for the final tournament.

Japan is 5-2 so far and second behind Lebanon. In the first round, Japan beat Chinese Taipei 90-64 and 80-73 and lost to China 80-87. Afterwards, it beat South Korea 78-72 and China 92-73, while losing to South Korea 79-81.

On August 28, Japan beat Saudi Arabia 106-78. With this win in its first game of the second round, Japan has accumulated points and stays near the top of the standings.

A Window in Asian qualifying refers to a format that divides the qualifying schedule into set periods. In the second round, results from the first round carry over, so first-round results also count in the standings. Because the format is home-and-away, teams play each opponent once at home and once away.

The schedule after the November road games is a home game against Saudi Arabia on February 26, 2027, and a home game against Lebanon on March 1. Window 6 will be held in Japan. Looking only at the standings, Japan appears to have some room, but the gap to the teams in third place and below is only one win.

If Japan splits the two road games, it will enter the home Window 6 in a favorable position. Conversely, if it loses both, the teams below could close the gap on Japan. How strong a lineup Qatar fields may also affect the outcome.

The Asian qualifiers are a tournament in which the region's top teams compete for spots at the World Cup. Because each nation combines players based at home with those playing abroad, managing players' condition on the road also determines results.

For Japan's national team, the November road trip is an important turning point toward the final stage of home games. Whether Japan can protect its position while adding points will be the key to advancing from the second round.

Background

Japan's results so far: wins over Chinese Taipei 90-64 and 80-73, a loss to China 80-87, a win over South Korea 78-72, a win over China 92-73, and a loss to South Korea 79-81. Japan beat Saudi Arabia by a large margin on August 28. After that game it was 5-2, second behind Lebanon.

Basketball Press view

For Japan, the November road trip is two games that will determine whether it can maintain its position in the standings. Because the gap to the teams in third and below is only one win, whether Japan can secure at least a 1-1 split on the road will shape the outlook for the next stage. Having Window 6 at home works in Japan's favor, but to make that count, it must not drop points on the road.

Translated from the Japanese article by the Basketball Press editors. AI is used to assist in translation.