"Let's End This Dreadful Six-Game Losing Streak Today": Full-Strength Men's Basketball Team Battles Iran for a Medal in the Semifinals [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] South Korea's men's and women's basketball teams face a crucial test as they seek to reclaim the Asian title together for the first time in 12 years, since the 2014 Incheon Games. The men's team will battle its longtime nemesis for a place in the final, while the women's team will seek its first win after overcoming a series of setbacks.
South Korea's men's national basketball team, coached by Nikolajs Mazurs of Latvia and ranked 57th in the FIBA rankings, will face Iran, ranked 28th, in the semifinal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at 4 p.m. on the 18th at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
Iran has been South Korea's biggest nemesis, repeatedly frustrating Korean basketball over the past 12 years. South Korea holds a narrow 13-10 advantage in their all-time head-to-head record, but has suffered six straight losses since beating Iran in the 2014 Incheon Games final. Iran has repeatedly halted South Korea at crucial stages, including the semifinal of the 2018 Jakarta–Palembang Games and the fifth-to-eighth-place classification game at the previous Hangzhou Games.

However, the two teams have followed sharply contrasting paths in this tournament. Iran has been weakened by the absence of key players such as Behnam Yakhchali and Mohammad Amini, and has looked shaky after losing to Qatar in the group stage.
South Korea, by contrast, is enjoying a perfect run. The team has won four straight games, including victories over host Japan and a formidable Jordan. Most importantly, Choi Jun-yong (KCC), who had missed the group stage while pursuing an opportunity in the United States, and Jun Seok Yeo (Seattle University), who had recovered from an injury, joined the team in the quarterfinals to complete the full-strength roster. South Korea boasts its best lineup, featuring ace Lee Hyun-jung (Portland) and Lee Jung-hyun (Sono), both displaying exceptional shooting form, as well as Lee Seoung-hyun (Hyundai Mobis), a reliable presence in the paint. If South Korea gets past Iran, it will face the winner of Japan and China in the highly anticipated final.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter