Group of Death: Gilas faces bumpy ride back to World Cup

A difficult road for a fourth straight FIBA World Cup stint awaits Gilas Pilipinas after joining a “Group of Death” in the Asian Qualifiers.

The Filipinos found themselves bunched with Oceania powerhouse teams and familiar foes Australia and New Zealand in the double round-robin, home-and-away format group stage, which will open this November.

Gilas has been drawn in Group A with the Boomers and Tall Blacks along with Guam, in the drawing ceremony staged by the 2027 FIBA World Cup host Qatar late Tuesday (Manila time).

Sixteen teams were divided into four groups in the initial stage of pool play where the top three squads 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 will play 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 to the main draw slated 27 August to 12 September.

Gilas coach Tim Cone believes that the road to the World Cup will not be easy.

“First off, we had no control over what group we were drawn into, so it’s not something we’re going to regret or worry about,” said Cone, whose side was represented by Gilas assistant coach Sean Chambers during the draw ceremony in Doha.

“Secondly, as the qualifiers progresses, we’re going to end up playing all the teams in the other group, so it all equals out.”

The 34th ranked Gilas will have to go through the proverbial eye of the needle in first round against the Aussies and the Kiwis that have beaten the Filipinos in their previous Asian qualifying matches.

In the qualifiers for the 2023 edition co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, Gilas lost to the Tall Blacks in both windows.

New Zealand dismantled Gilas, 88-63, in the February 2022 window in Manila before a 106-60 rout of the visiting Filipinos in Auckland four months later.

The Tall Blacks have beaten Gilas in dominating fashion in the third window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup last February on their home turf following a shocking loss in Manila in November 2024.

Gilas and New Zealand are with Chinese-Taipei and Iraq in the group stage of the Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, running from 5 to 17 August.

Gilas will also rekindle a rivalry with Australia following the brawl-marred Asian qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup seven years ago.

The Boomers bested Gilas, 84-68, in Melbourne before traveling to Manila for a rematch on 2 July 2018 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Australia was already miles ahead in the third period when Gilas guard RR Pogoy hit Chris Goulding with two hard fouls. Australia’s Daniel Kickert retaliated by elbowing Pogoy in the face, which triggered a free-for-all slugfest that resulted in the ejection of nine Gilas and four Boomers from the game.

With only three players left, June Mar Fajardo and Gabe Norwood intentionally fouled out, leaving only Baser Amer as the lone eligible Gilas player inside the court. The game was called off with 1:57 left in the period.

Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario are the only active Gilas players left from that infamous national squad by then-coach Chot Reyes.

“Bottomline, we have to be in top seven in Asia to qualify,” Cone added.

“Tough but doable.”

Meanwhile, the draw also saw Japan, China, South Korea and Chinese Taipei bundled in Group B.

Iran, Jordan, Syria and Iraq are in Group C while Group D has Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India and Qatar.