Nairobi City Thunder will face APR Rwanda in their first-ever match of the Basketball Africa League (BAL 2025) campaign.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at 6:30 PM EAT at the BK Arena in Kigali.
Four teams are competing in the Nile Conference: Nairobi City Thunder, Armee Patriotique Rwandaise (APR), Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya), and Made By Basketball (MBB) from South Africa.
Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder will tip off their 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign on Saturday, May 17, as they square off against hosts Armee Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) in the Nile Conference at the iconic BK Arena in Kigali.
The East Division champions, an undefeated Kenyan powerhouse since last season, are making their maiden BAL appearance, becoming the first-ever Kenyan team to qualify for the prestigious continental tournament.
As a result, they aim to extend their dominance and cement their legacy among Africa’s elite basketball teams.
Under Coach Bradley Ibs, the team secured their BAL berth by clinching the East Division title in the Road to BAL tournament, overpowering Kriol Stars with a commanding 99-86 victory in the Elite 16 Finals at Nairobi’s Kasarani Indoor Arena in December 2024.
Their opponents, APR Rwanda, are making their second BAL appearance after last season and should not be underestimated.
The Rwandan giants boast an unmatched domestic record, having claimed 15 national championships.
Dubbed “The Lions”, they stand as the most decorated club in Rwanda, with no rival coming close to their domestic supremacy.
Under the guidance of James Maye Jr., APR earned an automatic qualification as one of the six teams across the three conferences, courtesy of their 2024 domestic league triumph.
In their BAL debut last season, however, they finished bottom of the Sahara Conference with a 2-4 record.
Thunder, APR coaches speak ahead of clash
Speaking after their first practice session at BK Arena, Coach Ibs expressed optimism, stating that his squad is highly motivated and found the arena welcoming, with productive drills ahead of their opening clash.
I think we’re really excited to be on the BK Arena floor. Obviously, it’s an amazing wooden court with great hoops and rims, and that gave our players a lot of energy.
We got a lot of shots up and had some competitive segments, which were great preparation for the upcoming matches,” Ibs remarked on the Arena atmosphere.
Today the Nairobi City Thunder @nct_basketball becomes the first ever Kenyan team to play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The fifth edition of @theBAL Nile Conference is in Kigali, Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Maye Jr., who led APR to another championship and BAL qualification in his debut season, emphasized his team’s readiness, cohesion, and high morale ahead of their campaign.
Everybody in the team has got great energy right now and they are confident in what they have been doing,” Maye told the The News Times.
I think our chemistry, our flow of how we have to work in the BAL has really been improving over the last week or so, especially with the changes of players we’ve made. So I think everybody’s adapting well, and I think we’re ready to go.”
The Nile Conference will feature a 12-game round-robin, with each of the four teams facing one another twice.
Only the top two finishers will advance to the BAL 2025 playoffs, setting the stage for a fierce battle as both teams look to start strong and secure an early advantage.
Brian Magiri is a passionate sports journalist and all-around sports enthusiast. He loves diving into the worlds of football, rugby, basketball, tennis, and Formula 1, bringing stories to life with energy and insight. For Brian, anything exciting happening in sports is worth exploring and sharing.
