- Nairobi City Thunder suffered a heartbreaking defeat after a late three-pointer, falling 74–77 to host team APR Rwanda in their final game of the 2025 Basketball Africa League Nile Conference.
- The tournament took place in Kigali, Rwanda, at the BK Arena.
- City Thunder missed out on a playoff spot, finishing with a 1–5 record. However, the team gained valuable experience and insights throughout the tournament.
Nairobi City Thunder once again saw victory slip through their grasp in the dying moments of the match, narrowly succumbing to hosts APR Rwanda 74-77 on Sunday evening at the BK Arena in the 2025 Nile Conference Basketball Africa League.
Coming off a morale-boosting victory on Saturday against South Africa’s MBB (85–76), Thunder entered the game with renewed confidence.
However, just as in their first match against MBB where they succumbed to a buzzer-beating three-pointer the story repeated itself.
This time, APR secured their place in the upcoming playoffs in Pretoria with a clutch three-pointer in the final 10 seconds.
Albert Odero shone as Nairobi City Thunder’s standout performer, racking up 29 points, while Uchenna Iroegbu provided a spark off the bench with 16 points.
William Davis also made a notable contribution, adding 14 points to the scoreboard.
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APR, who staged a stunning 13-point comeback against Thunder, boasted four players in double figures.
Aliou Diarra spearheaded their charge with 22 points, supported by Youssoupha Ndoye’s 18-point effort. Obadiah Noel, coming off the bench, delivered a crucial 16 points to seal their triumph.
Nairobi City Thunder start strong, but APR’s grit prevails
Nairobi City Thunder opened the match with high intensity, taking a narrow 19–17 lead in the first quarter.
Odero led the scoring with 10 points, supported by Iroegbu’s four. For APR, Obadiah Noel paced the team with six points early on.
ASLO READ: Ruthless APR hand Nairobi City Thunder loss on historic BAL debut
The second quarter saw Thunder extend their advantage, outscoring APR 27–16 for a commanding 45–34 halftime lead.
Odero continued his dominance, racking up 23 points and grabbing three rebounds by halftime. Iroegbu chipped in with eight points, while APR’s Diarra was the only double-digit scorer at the break with 10 points.
APR began their resurgence in the third quarter, narrowing the gap with a 20–16 run. Despite their effort, Thunder still held a 61–55 lead heading into the final period.
The fourth quarter, however, belonged to APR. They turned up the intensity on both ends of the court, outscoring Thunder 22–13 and completing a remarkable comeback.
A decisive three-pointer with just 10 seconds remaining from Obadiah Noel sealed the 77–74 victory and sent APR to the BAL Playoffs.
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Starters
Nairobi City Thunder (NCT)
Garang Diing Akol Diing, Eugene Phillips Adera, Albert Einstein Onyango Odero, Ariel Okall Okoll Koranga, Tylor Okari Ongwae
APR Rwanda
Jemar Randle, Axel Mpoyo, Aliou Diarra, Ntore Habimana, Youssoupha Ndoye
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