Kouame, Fajardo, Edu back in Gilas pool for 2nd window of FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas will have some big reinforcements back when it hosts the second window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers later this month.

The national team has tapped the services of naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, who will join hands anew with Justin Brownlee as they expand the national team pool of head coach Tim Cone.

It will be a reunion of sorts for Kouame and Brownlee, who helped steer the team to the gold medal during their historic Asian Games campaign last year.

Also back in the fold are the frontcourt duo of June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu, who both missed the opening window last February due to injuries, while Mason Amos, one of the two late pool additions last time, is also returning to the pool.

Also in the 15-man pool are familiar faces in TNT star Calvin Oftana, who is fresh off the Tropang Giga's championship in the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup against Ginebra, whose core players of Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, and Jamie Malonzo are also returning to national team duties.

PBA cagers Chris Newsome of Meralco and CJ Perez of San Miguel are called back while overseas standouts Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, and Carl Tamayo will once again don the national colors.

Collegiate star Kevin Quiambao, who is currently in the middle of a busy UAAP campaign with the De La Salle Green Archers, is likewise tapped to help the squad.

Gilas will play New Zealand on November 21 before taking on Hong Kong on the 24th with both games set to be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Filipinos, who dominated Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei in the first window, and the Tall Blacks are currently tied in Group A with identical 2-0 cards.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News