JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – The FIBA Asia Cup 2025 has come down to its final day, and while gold is no longer on the table for Iran and New Zealand, the motivation to walk away with hardware remains strong.
Iran’s Semi-Finals clash with defending champions Australia ended in disappointment, as the three-time Asia Cup winners struggled to match the Boomers’ size and pace. Now, after missing the podium in 2022, Team Melli have a shot at reclaiming a place among Asia’s top three.
New Zealand, meanwhile, saw their unbeaten run snapped by China on Day 11. It was another case of the Tall Blacks falling short of the championship game, but they can still match their 2022 third-place finish with a win here. Both sides enter at 4-1, and both have plenty left to prove in Jeddah.
Sina Vahedi (IRI)
Key matchup: Sina Vahedi vs Mojave King
Vahedi has been Iran’s leading scorer in the tournament, but his Semi-Finals performance fell below his usual standard. Expect the guard to come out aggressive in this final outing, seeking to set the tone early. King, on the other hand, continued to shine in New Zealand’s loss to China, showcasing the scoring punch and athleticism that have made him one of the competition’s breakout stars. Whichever top scorer finds their rhythm first could swing the momentum for their team.
X-Factor: Arsalan Kazemi
The Iranian captain endured a rough Semi-Finals against Australia, failing to score and pulling down just four rebounds. With his leadership, rebounding and hustle integral to Iran’s identity, Kazemi will be desperate to respond with a vintage performance, especially if this turns out to be his final FIBA Asia Cup game. His energy and presence on the glass could be a decisive factor against New Zealand’s physical style.
Stats don’t lie
Both teams will be determined to fix what went wrong in the Semi-Finals, and for either team, that starts with rebounding. New Zealand were beaten on the boards 49-40 by China, while Iran suffered a staggering -16 rebounding differential against the Boomers. Winning the battle inside will be essential, as second-chance points could also be the difference in a game that promises to be tight.
Carlin Davison (NZL)
Previous Asia Cup meetings
This will be the first-ever FIBA Asia Cup meeting between Iran and New Zealand. It’s a debut clash with clear stakes: the winners leave Jeddah with medals, the losers with a frustrating fourth-place finish.
For Iran, this is about restoring pride and returning to the podium after a generation of dominance earlier in the 21st century. For New Zealand, it’s about maintaining their place among the region’s elite and proving they can keep their spot on the podium.
FIBA