- The Nairobi City Thunder are set to make their historic debut in the Basketball Africa League (BAL 2025), running from May 17 to 25 in Kigali, Rwanda.
- Thunder’s campaign begins with a clash against APR on Saturday, May 17 at 17:30 local time / 18:30 EAT.
- Coach Bradley Ibs has named a 12-man squad to represent Thunder in Kigali, spearheaded by small forward Tylor Ongwae, who will serve as team captain.
The Kenyan basketball powerhouse, Nairobi City Thunder, is set to make history when they debut in Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025 Nile Conference scheduled to tip off from Saturday, May 17 to Sunday, May 25 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Thunder clinched this milestone by dominating the East Division, overpowering Kriol Star with a commanding 99-86 victory in the Elite 16 Finals held at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi back in December 2024.
The triumph marked a significant breakthrough as Thunder became the first team from Kenya to earn a spot in the prestigious BAL tournament.
Under the stewardship of head coach Bradley Ibs, Thunder, who are currently unbeaten in the Kenya Basketball League since last season, will be aiming to extend their commanding form and secure a place in the playoffs/finals in Pretoria next month.
Nairobi City Thunder – BAL 2025 Nile Conference fixtures & opponents
Thunder’s campaign begins with high-stakes clashes against formidable opponents in the Nile Conference, including Armee Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) from Rwanda, BAL debutants Al Ahli Tripoli from Libya who emerged as undefeated West Division champions and Made by Basketball (MBB) from South Africa who secured a wildcard entry.
The group stage will consist of a 12-game round-robin, where each team will play the others twice with only the top two teams advancing to the playoffs.
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Group stage fixtures (Local Time / EAT)
Saturday, May 17, 2025
- APR (Rwanda) vs Nairobi City Thunder – 17:30 / 18:30 EAT
Sunday, May 18, 2025
- Nairobi City Thunder vs Al Ahli SC (Libya) – 14:30 / 15:30 EAT
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- Nairobi City Thunder vs MBB (South Africa) – 16:00 / 17:00 EAT
Thursday, May 22, 2025
- Al Ahli SC vs Nairobi City Thunder – 16:00 / 17:00 EAT
Saturday, May 24, 2025
- MBB vs Nairobi City Thunder – 14:30 / 15:30 EAT
Sunday, May 25, 2025
- Nairobi City Thunder vs APR (Rwanda) – 17:30 / 18:30 EAT
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Nairobi City Thunder’s final squad for Kigali
Coach Ibs has named a 12-man squad to represent Thunder in Kigali, spearheaded by small forward Tylor Ongwae, who will captain the team.
The lineup features a blend of seasoned talent and rising stars, including 19-year-old prodigy David Etyang, sharp-shooter Derrick Ogechi and new Senegalese recruit Cheikh Mbacke.
1. Tylor Ongwae – Small Forward
2. Albert Odero – Shooting Guard
3. Cheikh Mbacke – Center
4. Grang Diing – Combo Guard
5. William Davis II – Power Forward
6. David Etyang – Point Guard
7. Uchenna Iroegbu – Point Guard
8. Ariel Koranga – Power Forward
9. Ekiru Ereng – Power Forward
10. Derrick Ogechi – Shooting Guard
11. Eugene Adera – Point Guard
12. Evanas Ganapamo – Shooting Guard
Technical Bench
- Bradley Ibs – Head Coach
- Mathew Binder – Assistant Coach
- Rose Mshilla – Assistant Coach
Thunder aims to emulate elite BAL contenders from the Sahara and Kalahari Conference
Nairobi City Thunder aim to follow in the footsteps of continental heavyweights such as Al Ittihad and Rivers Hoopers, who recently advanced from the Kalahari Conference in Rabat, Morocco, as well as Sahara Conference champions US Monastir, who edged past ASC Ville de Dakar with a 77-68 victory.
The Kenyan champions also aspire to face BAL titans like Petro de Luanda (Angola) and Kriol Star (Cape Verde) in the upcoming BAL Playoffs set for 6-14 June 2025.