- Nairobi City Thunder suffered their fourth defeat in the Basketball Africa League, losing 104-91 to Al Ahli Tripoli on Thursday evening at the BK Arena in Kigali.
- The Libyan powerhouse remains unbeaten, boasting a perfect 4-0 record, securing their place in next month’s Playoffs/Finals in Pretoria, South Africa.
- Nairobi City Thunder’s next fixtures are against Made By Basketball (MBB) of South Africa and APR of Rwanda to round off their campaign.
Nairobi City Thunder’s campaign in the 2025 Basketball Africa League deteriorated further as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the Nile Conference, falling 104-91 to Al Ahli Tripoli on Thursday evening at BK Arena in Kigali.
Al Ahli completed a double over the Kenyan champions, having dismantled them 115-87 in their first encounter.
The Libyan powerhouse remains unbeaten, boasting a perfect 4-0 record, securing their place in next month’s Playoffs/Finals in Pretoria, South Africa.
They became the sixth team overall across all three conferences to secure a spot in the seeding games and quarter-finals, joining Al Ittihad (Egypt), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), US Monastir (Tunisia), Petro de Luanda (Angola), and Kriol Star (Cape Verde).
Jean Boissy came off the bench to inspire Al Ahli with a stellar performance, registering 26 points, four rebounds and two assists.
However, the standout player of the night was Mohamed B. Abdourahman Sadi, who dominated with 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Four of his teammates also reached double digits – Caleb Agada, Jaylen Adams, Naseim Badrush, and Deon Thompson – as they notched their second century-point performance of the tournament, both at Thunder’s expense.
Despite the final scoreline, the Bradley Ibs-coached side showed flashes of resilience but ultimately succumbed due to defensive lapses and a barrage of fouls – a recurring issue throughout their BAL journey.
From the bench, Uchenna Iroegbu top-scored for Thunder with 23 points, adding three rebounds and two assists.
Albert Einstein Onyango Odero also made a valuable contribution with 17 points off the bench, while captain Tyler Ongwae chipped in with 12 points and Evans Ganapamo added 10.
Al Ahli made an explosive start, racing to a 10-2 lead within the first two minutes.
Deon Thompson opened the scoring spree with five quick points, Wajdi Dawo added two, and Badrush hit a three-pointer. Ganapamo was Thunder’s lone scorer in the early going.
The first quarter saw a spirited fightback from Thunder, who briefly leveled the score at 22-22. However, Al Ahli regained control and closed the period with a commanding 32-24 lead.
ALSO READ: Al Ahli light up scoreboard in Thunder’s second BAL 2025 setback
In the second quarter, Thunder’s defensive frailties reemerged as they racked up multiple fouls, allowing Tripoli to extend their advantage. The Libyan side dominated the period 24-17, taking a 56-41 lead into halftime.
Sadi spearheaded coach Fouad Abou Chacra’s tactical setup, delivering 13 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the first half alone.
Although Iroegbu and Ganapamo each notched 10 points for Thunder by halftime, their efforts were undermined by poor defensive execution and foul trouble, especially from Grang Diing, whose four infractions all led to scoring opportunities for Al Ahli.
In the third quarter, the Libyans took control with a 27-18 run, extending their lead to nine points, which later ballooned to a 24-point advantage as they closed the quarter ahead 83-59.
ALSO READ: Opong’s buzzer-beater crushes Nairobi City Thunder’s BAL playoff hopes
Just like in the first leg, Nairobi City Thunder dominated the final quarter, outscoring Al Ahli Tripoli 32-21.
However, it was not enough to overcome the deficit they managed to cut the margin from 25 to 13 points, but Tripoli ultimately sealed the win with a final score of 104-91.
With Tripoli having already secured their place in the BAL playoffs, Nairobi City Thunder will continue their pursuit, facing Made By Basketball (MBB) on Saturday before wrapping up their campaign against APR.
ALSO READ: Ruthless APR hand Nairobi City Thunder loss on historic BAL debut
Al Ahli Tripoli vs Nairobi City Thunder Starters
Al Ahli Tripoli: Jaylen Adams, Naseim Badrush, Mohamed B. Abdourahman Sadi, Wajdi Dawo, Deon Thompson
Nairobi City Thunder: Evans Ganapamo, Grang Diing, Eugene Adera, Tyler Ongwae, Cheikh Mbacke
Nairobi City Thunder – BAL 2025 Group Stage Schedule & Results
(All times local / EAT)
Results
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 74-75 MBB (South Africa)
Thursday, May 22, 2025: Al Ahli SC 104-91 Nairobi City Thunder
ALSO READ: Ruthless APR hand Nairobi City Thunder loss on historic BAL debut
Upcoming Matches
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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