Muslim Basketball

Amman stayed perfect with a statement win over Cairo (79–64). Uncle Jay Mustafa had them playing with pace and confidence — and with MVP Mahdy Suleiman plus Coach Adeeb Yousef steadying the ship, the talent + composure gap showed as they pulled away in the second half. At 2–0, they’ve earned the top line and look like the team to beat until someone proves otherwise.

Mombasa made it back-to-back statements, cruising past Istanbul (85–58). Their identity is clear: win the physical battle, guard in space, and turn stops into run-outs before you can get set. Captain Sal Rahin kept them poised and organized, and Ali Hassan’s presence set the tone on both ends. If the half-court offense stays clean, they’re going to keep living near the top.

Islamabad’s Week 2 win over Gaza (73–64) was less about fireworks and more about control. They dictated tempo, got into their sets early, and stayed disciplined through Gaza’s runs — no panic possessions, just clean decisions. Captain Deep Patel steered the ship, and the creators (Zubi + Shyambaba) consistently bent the defense to generate high-quality looks. If they keep stacking 40-minute focus like this, they’re going to be a weekly problem.

Cairo took a tough loss to Amman (64–79), and it exposed the gap between “dangerous” and “elite” right now. Captain Abdul Kareem E. can still lead them to buckets, and when Omar Hussein is splashing threes the whole gym tilts — but they’ll need more consistent stops (Elsammak brothers + Trey H) and cleaner possessions when the game speeds up. Still a top contender — just not unbeaten anymore.

Gaza fell to Islamabad (64–73) in a game that was tighter than the final suggests. Commissioner Abbassi still has them playing with a nonstop motor — the Abbassi brothers and Brandon Landfair bring chaos every possession — but they couldn’t generate enough clean half-court offense when it mattered most. Clean up the late-game execution and get steady buckets from Moatze Musa / Ramzy Saleh, and they’ll stay firmly in the top half.

Granada got right in a big way, blowing out Dhaka (79–46). Dr. Ammar Mustafa had them poised and organized, and with Zain Abdeen’s versatility plus Muhammad Elhindi stretching the floor, they generated quality looks early and never let the game tilt into chaos. Add in Omar Sehwail’s triple-double, and it was a complete performance. If they keep defending and moving the ball like this — especially once Wajdi Ahemed returns to the lineup — Granada will be a real problem.

Lahore earned a gritty win over Jerusalem (66–64) and showed they can win a close one. Captain Zubair Piperdi led the way in a tight finish — and when Zubair + Aadil Yousuf + Julian Reyes are making timely plays, they’re hard to put away. Bring that same discipline week-to-week and they’ll keep climbing.

Jerusalem came back to earth in a tight loss to Lahore (64–66), and it showed how thin the margin gets when the offense stalls. They’re at their best when Mahrooz “Point God” Qaderi is controlling tempo, Michael Knight + Mohammad Masri are knocking down clean looks, and Fares is anchoring the paint. To stay near the top, they’ll need more consistent half-court creation — especially late — when the game slows down.

Damascus grabbed a much-needed win over Beirut (64–62) in a grinder. Captain Omar Singer had them tough and connected, and with Ibrhahim O + Omar Elsamna setting the defense-first tone, they executed just enough late to steal it. If they can keep that defensive identity while getting steadier scoring from Omar Singer and Corey Chandler, they won’t be stuck in the middle for long.

Beirut dropped a close one to Damascus (62–64) and will feel like they let a winnable game slip. Captain Shafic Itani had them competing, and with Coach Towfeek Hamzeh trying to steady the pace, they were right there late. The next step is cleaner execution down the stretch — plus more consistent interior production from Ahmad Asfour — to avoid these one-possession losses. Still a solid team, but now firmly in the pack.

Tripoli moved to 1–1 via forfeit against Kabul (Kabul lacked players). There’s no film to take from it, but the result keeps them firmly in the mix. The next real test is showing consistent half-court execution and discipline — leveraging the size of Omar Mana, finishing possessions through Moad Aglaguel / Anssoumane Kande, and getting timely shooting from Moayad Abul-Huda — against a full squad.

Kabul took a forfeit loss to Tripoli due to not having enough players, dropping them to 0–2. Captain Farhad Saleh needs bodies and continuity fast — because when MVP Gagan Dhaliwal is rolling (with Mike Liander in the mix), they’re absolutely a top-tier threat. Availability matters, though, or the early hole gets deeper.

Istanbul ran into another tough matchup and fell to Mombasa (58–85). Captain Sube Deeb has them playing hard, but it’s the details: finishing possessions (Nick Fajvan & Tamer Assaf), limiting run-outs, and executing late (Khaled Musbeh + Muhammad Assaf + Muhanad Deeb). At 0–2, they need a cleaner brand of basketball, quickly.

Dhaka got blown out by Granada (46–79) and is still searching for an identity at 0–2. Captain Mohammad Abdelghani needs simpler offense, better spacing, and fewer empty possessions to avoid getting buried early — and they’ve got to generate cleaner looks for Ty Jackson, Ian Felix, and the newest addition, Nabil Allan. The athletes are there; now the structure and togetherness have to catch up.