Gilas Pilipinas is in for a tough grind in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers starting in November this year.

Luck did not favor Gilas, which assistant coach Sean Chambers represented, after getting bunched with powerhouse teams No. 7-ranked Australia and No. 22 New Zealand along with Guam in Group A during the drawing of lots held in Qatar late Tuesday (Manila time).

Sixteen teams are divided into four groups and will play a double round-robin, home-and-away format, where the top three squads in each pool will advance into the second round.

In the second round, the 12 remaining teams will be divided into two groups with carry-over records. Each squad plays against the three teams they haven’t faced in the opening round in another home-and-away format.

The top three teams in each group and the best fourth-placed team along with host Qatar will qualify in the main draw slated 27 August to 12 September.    

During the qualifiers of the 2023 edition co-hosted by the Philippines with Japan and Indonesia, Gilas lost to the Kiwis in both windows.

The Tall Blacks dismantled Gilas, 88-63, in the February 2022 window in Manila before blowing out the visiting Filipinos, 106-60, in Auckland four months later.

On the other hand, 34th ranked Gilas and Australia’s last qualifiers meeting was in 2018 for the 2019 World Cup.

Australia bested Gilas, 84-68, in Melbourne before making a repeat in an infamous brawl-marred, 89-53, decision at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Meanwhile, Group B is composed of Japan, China, South Korea and Chinese Taipei. Iran, Jordan, Syria and Iraq are in Group C while Group D has Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India and Qatar.