- Nairobi City Thunder beat RSSB Tigers of Rwanda 101–92 to finish with a 2–3 record at the BAL 2026 Kalahari Conference on Sunday, April 5, 2026.
- The tournament was held at the SunBet Arena in South Africa from March 27 to April 5, 2026.
- It marks an improvement for the Kenyan club from their debut season, when they finished 1–5, bringing their overall BAL record to 3–8.
The national basketball champions, Nairobi City Thunder, wrapped up their 2026 Basketball Africa League Kalahari Conference, on a high note as they managed to upset the table-toppers RSSB Tigers of Rwanda, 101-92, at the Sunbet Arena in South Africa on Sunday.
Thunder were making their second ever appearance in the BAL, and although they have improved on their 1-5 record from last season in Kigali, Rwanda, this time around a 2-3 finish still wasn’t enough for the Kenyan outfit to advance to the playoffs.
They will be kicking themselves over the chances they let slip away.
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This is the first time they have hit a century score in the five matches they played in South Africa from March 27 – April 5, 2026.
Their first victory came against the hosts, the Johannesburg Giants, whom they beat 71-65.
They had kicked off the campaign on a really low note, falling to debutants and East African rivals Dar City of Tanzania 90-85, then took a 97-70 beating from former champions Petro de Luanda of Angola, before dropping 107-80 to Libya’s Al Ahly.
Nairobi City Thunder beat RSSB Tigers of Rwanda 101–92
In addition to their win, Thunder became the first side to hand RSSB Tigers their opening loss of the campaign.
They achieved this against a Tigers squad that will host the playoffs in May but missed some key players, including Leonard Craig Randall II and Teafale Lenard Jr, who had been outstanding for Henry Mwinuka’s charges throughout the tournament but missed this final encounter.
Derrick Ogechi led five more players for coach Bradly Ibs’ squad with a double-digit score, dropping 22 points.
Joseph Nziekor came close with 21, while captain Tylor Ongwae added 17 points. Lance Thomas had 14 points to his name, and Garang Diing came off the bench to sink 14 points in this second win of the campaign.
For RSSB Tigers, Alvares Jackson Jr. dropped 24 points, while Mangok Mathiang had a sensational game, recording a double-double with 22 points and 22 rebounds.
But despite his heroic effort, their defense still cracked as Thunder snatched the win and handed them their first loss.
Nairobi City Thunder captain Tylor Ongwae reflects on team’s BAL 2026 run
Speaking after the match, NCT captain Tylor Ongwae said that even though it hurts not to go through to the playoffs, it’s still a positive step, improving from one-win last season to two this year.
“This means a lot. Last season we won just a single game, and this season it’s two, so I can say it’s been a good run,” Ongwae stated.
He apologized to the fans and stated that they will take the positives to build on and the negatives to fix, hoping that season seven of the BAL will go better for them.
“I know it’s been a disappointing campaign for our fans back home, but we’ll keep building well until we get it right. We’ll go back, make sure we see our lapses, and build from there. I know next season we’ll come back strong.”
With a record of 3-8, the unbeaten national basketball side and back-to-back champions will now head home and figure out how to improve and catch up with other teams, including Dar City, who made history by qualifying for the playoffs despite being first-timers.
Nairobi City Thunder BAL 2026 Group Phase Results
- Nairobi City Thunder 85-90 Dar City Basketball Club (H)
- Nairobi City Thunder 71-65 Johannesburg Giants Basketball Club
- Nairobi City Thunder 70-97 Petroleos de Luanda (A)
- Nairobi City Thunder 107-80 Al Ahly Ly Sporting Club
- Nairobi City Thunder 101-92 RSSB Tigers
