Muslim Basketball

Let's keep this simple: Mombasa is still the team to beat. Their offense was firing once again, and what separates them from everyone else is their ability to flip the switch when it matters most. Instead of folding under pressure, they create separation through smart shot selection, relentless attacks at the rim, and outstanding floor spacing. Shafic Itani poured in 35 points against Cairo and has really created noise around all Muslim Basketball.

Fresh off his historic performance in NNJ, Shafic and company entered this Game of the Week matchup as favorites and showed exactly why, cruising to a 25-point victory over Gaza, who were once again without superstar Mattias. The second half was the difference-maker, as Mombasa pulled away behind strong performances from Mahrooz and Ameer Koyas, who finished with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Now riding a three-game winning streak, Mombasa has been playing disciplined, well-rounded basketball—moving the ball, taking smart shots, finding the open man, and rotating effectively on defense. They look like a team that has figured things out. Then again, what else would you expect from the defending champions?

In Kevin Durant fashion, MB is excited to welcome Shafic back to Central—and into the fold of the former champs. This matchup against Istanbul was a terrific display of team basketball from start to finish. The ball movement was sharp, the shots were falling, and the defense never let up—even after building a 50+ point lead. It was a complete performance on both ends. Special recognition goes to Omar Elnajjar, who was simply unstoppable, shooting an incredible 90% from the field while also grabbing 8 rebounds. When role players step up like that, it makes this team even more dangerous moving forward.

Rooz. That’s all we really have to say. With only four other players alongside him, Mombasa pulled off an insane win against a stacked Islamabad squad. This was a pure championship-type performance — sticking to roles, staying composed, and executing when it mattered most. Any team with Rooz is always in good hands. His ability to space the floor, attack the lane, and control the game makes him one of the toughest covers in the league. Salman Khan also put on a show from deep and became a major focal point in Mombasa’s offense. If he keeps shooting like that, he’s going to be a huge piece moving forward. And somehow, Mombasa still isn’t fully loaded yet with Shafic still waiting to return. Pulling off a win like this is massive, and teams around the league should definitely be paying attention. Also, shoutout to Farhan, we saw the middy!

Starting the season with a forfeit is rough… but this is still a former championship squad. Nobody’s writing them off after Week 1.