- Nairobi City Thunder suffered their second defeat in the BAL 2025, falling to Al Ahli SC, 87–115.
- The match was played at BK Arena on Sunday, May 18.
- Nairobi City Thunder’s next challenge will be against South Africa’s MBB on Tuesday, May 20.
Jean Jacques Boissy came off the bench with 30 points and 4 rebounds, powering Libya’s Al Ahli SC past Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder 87-115 as the first BAL team to crack 100 points in the 2025 season.
The clash, held at BK Arena on Sunday evening, May 18, witnessed Al Ahli’s quartet combining for a century of points.
Boissy led the charge with 30, while Jaylen Adams contributed 26.
Mohamed B. Abdourahman Sadi added 20, and Deon Thompson chipped in 21, securing their second consecutive tournament win after their 87-77 triumph over South Africa’s MBB in their opener.
Despite a spirited fourth-quarter effort, Nairobi City Thunder could not overturn the deficit.
Uchenna Iroegbu emerged as the standout player for the Kenyan side, recording 18 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.
Off the bench, Eugene Adera added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists. However, the team suffered their second straight loss, having previously fallen 92-63 to APR Rwanda on Saturday.
Al Ahli Tripoli set the tone early with back-to-back three-pointers from Jaylen Adams and Naseim Badrush.
Adams followed up with a strong drive, and Mohammed Sadi contributed two baskets, propelling them to an early 10-0 lead over Thunder.
The first quarter ended with Tripoli holding a narrow 28-24 advantage.
For Thunder, Cheikh Mbacke scored six points, Eugene Adera added four, Onyango Odero three, and Tylor Ongwae two though their combined efforts fell short in closing the early gap.
It was a stark contrast to their fiery start against APR in their tournament opener.
In the second quarter, Thunder fleetingly surged, outscoring their opponents 19-15 six minutes into the period and narrowing the margin to just two points.
However, Tripoli’s depth and composure allowed them to retake control, finishing the half with a 29-20 run to establish a 53-38 halftime lead.
In the long run, the Libyan side’s relentless tempo and well-distributed scoring proved overwhelming for Thunder, as they confidently extended their lead to 28 points by the end of the third quarter, securing a 15-28 advantage in that round and a commanding 53-81 overall score.
ALSO READ: Ruthless APR hand Nairobi City Thunder loss on historic BAL debut
The fourth quarter began with Tripoli converting consecutive possessions while Thunder struggled to find the basket for nearly 90 seconds after the tip-off, allowing the Libyan team to further extend their tally.
By the fifth minute of the final period, Fouad Abou Chacra’s squad had already hit the 100-point mark, thanks to Jean’s impressive three-point jumper, pushing the margin to a 40-point game and an overall lead of 62-102 for Tripoli.
Despite the deficit, City Thunder showed resilience, battling valiantly to stage a comeback in the final stretch.
Both teams tallied 34 points in the last quarter, maintaining the 28-point gap. In the end, Al Ahli SC claimed their second victory of the tournament, while Thunder continues to search for their first win.
Nairobi City Thunder’s next challenge will be against South Africa’s MBB on Tuesday, May 20 a team that, like Thunder, has yet to secure a victory in their first two matches.
ALSO READ: Denver Nuggets on brink of elimination, Pacers oust top-seeded Cavs
Nairobi City Thunder vs Al Ahli SC Starting Lineups
- Nairobi City Thunder: Evans Ganapamo, Uchenna Iroegbu, William Davis II, Tylor Ongwae, Cheikh Mbacke
- Al Ahli SC (Tripoli): Jaylen Adams, Naseim Badrush, Mohamed B. Abdourahman Sadi, Wajdi Dawo, Deon Thompson
Nairobi City Thunder BAL 2025 group stage fixtures & results (Local Time / EAT)
Saturday, May 17, 2025
- APR (Rwanda) 92-63 Nairobi City Thunder
Sunday, May 18, 2025
- Nairobi City Thunder 87-115 Al Ahli SC (Libya)
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
ALSO READ:Medina Eisa floors Hellen Obiri to win 2025 Great Manchester run