Jordan vs South Korea – Preview & Prediction (Sep. 16, 2026)

We have to admit that Jordan have disappointed us so far in these Asian Games as we expected much better results and performances by them with two naturalized foreign players. Recently, Spanish coach Luis Guil Torres has been appointed as the new head coach of Jordan as he is trying to implement new tactics and ideas looking to make a breakthrough in the Asian basketball scene. They were solid in the previous World Cup qualifying window as they only lost by a single point after overtime to the Philippines, when they were led by their main naturalized player with NBA experience, Jalen Harris. He isn´t playing at the Asian Games, but Jordan summoned two new naturalized players in view of seasoned veteran Dar Tucker, who has been loyal to them for a long time, and Perrin Buford. With the support of domestic stars like Al Dwairi, Ibrahim and Olajuwon, Jordan were expected to easily navigate through their group, but they barely managed to enter the quarterfinals because they were one of the best third-ranked teams. They surprisingly lost to Chinese Taipei in a narrow affair (83:80) and suffered a routine loss to an experienced Iranian side (81:68). Their sole victory in this tournament came against the weakest team in their group as they subdued Qatar 76:65, but based on their overall performance so far, their chances against South Korea today should be limited.

On paper, Jordan possess a roster that should be fighting for a medal. However, they are underperforming as a victory this Wednesday against one of the title favourites South Korea would be considered an upset. In Asian terms, Korea have always been the superior team and are playing much better basketball at this tournament, so they should be opened as routine favourites.

We are impressed with South Korea as they managed to cruise through their group with a flawless 3-0 W-L record. The Koreans are looking like prime candidates for the gold medal along with China and we doubt there are teams that can seriously trouble them. They easily beat Saudi Arabia in the opener 82:66 and then demolished Indonesia 102:48. Their most impressive victory came in the final group stage round as they completely neutralized the hosts Japan, crushing them 100:83. That game was more or less even until the final five minutes when South Korea broke away and sent a statement to China. During the recent World Cup qualifying window, the Korean team and their new head coach Nikolajs Mazurs were under heavy pressure, especially after getting blown out by Lebanon, but they regrouped and notched a crucial win at home by beating Saudi Arabia routinely. That victory injected confidence into their squad that is led by one of the best players in Asia currently, Hyunjung Lee, who recently signed an NBA contract with the Portland Trailblazers. With his individual brilliance supported by Korea´s defensive grit and deadly shooting, they are a very dangerous team and should contend for the gold medal.

South Korea are playing excellent basketball at the moment and have a juggernaut in their squad in view of their stalwart Hyunjung Lee, who can decide games on his own. We can´t write off Jordan because of their experience, strong coaching and two naturalized players, but overall, the Koreans seem to be at a higher level and should prevail today.