On Friday in Manila, Philippines, the Iranian team suffered a defeat against New Zealand with a score of 93:91 after overtime during the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup 2027.
New Zealand demonstrated strong play: Shay Ili scored 24 points and provided six assists, while Sam Menenga contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds. Ruben Te Rangi also stood out with 13 points, and Waardenburg had 11 points.
From Iran's side, Matin Aghadjanjour played the best, scoring 19 points, while Mohammad Amini and Mahdi Jafari contributed 16 and 14 points, respectively.
New Zealand's victory over Iran allowed the Philippines to gain two advantages before entering the second round of the tournament. Specifically, the 'Tall Blacks' tied the score with Iran in Group E, both having a record of 5-2 and 12 points, whereas the Philippines are in fifth place in the group with a record of 2-4, giving them eight points.