2024 Kenya Basketball Federation Premier League winners Nairobi City Thunder made history on Monday evening as they became the first-ever Kenyan team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) after defeating Uganda’s City Oilers 72-62 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi.
Following that historic victory, Nairobi City Thunder, founded as NSSF Stars in 1998, also secured a spot in the finals of the East Division Elite Sixteen tournament.
Ever since its acquisition by Twende Sports Limited in 2023, Nairobi City Thunder has always trained their sight on becoming the first Kenyan team to feature in BAL, Africa’s elite basketball competition, and on Monday evening they achieved their target in style.
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With history beckoning from tip off, Bradley Ibs’ side were determined in their consistency as they dominated their opponents in all four quarters.
Thunder got off to a good start in the first quarter, winning 18-11, before being made to sweat to protect their advantage in the second quarter. They won the second quarter 16-15 to take a 34-26 lead at halftime.
In the second half, although the Uganda team fought hard to close the gap, Nairobi City Thunder remained unshaken in their mission, winning 20-19 to bring the score to 54-45 as the two teams headed to the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was competitive as the second and the third with Thunder once again edging their opponent by a one-point margin for an 18-17 victory which brought the final score to 72-62.
Ater Majok and Uche Iroegbu led the Thunder with 17 and 16 points, respectively, Uche, the American-Nigerian international, was the standout player of the day. He contributed significantly with four steals, two blocks, and six assists, while also being the most efficient player on the Thunder side.
The Oilers will thank Petty Parris for his resilience in the match, as he scored 23 points, with Falando Jones closely following with 15 points.
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Led by team captain Tryler Ongwae, the team has now joined the debuting Kriols Stars of Cape Verde, who triumphed over Urunani of Burundi 90-82 in the first semifinal. Both teams will meet on Tuesday night for the finals at the Kasarani Indoor Arena.
The 2025 Basketball Africa League, the 5th edition of the tournament, will be held in three phases: The Sahara Conference, The Nile Conference, and The Kalahari Conference, where 12 teams will be split across these phases. Each conference will consist of four teams, and each team will play a 12-game group phase, facing each of the other three teams twice.
The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from April 5 to 13 in Rabat. The Sahara Conference group phase will run from Saturday, April 26 to May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. The Nile Conference group phase will be held from Saturday, May 17 to 25 at BK Arena in Kigali.
The Road to the BAL Finals will take place in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 14, marking the first time the BAL finals will be held there.
