
Road to BAL: Nigerien sensation newest addition for Thunder
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 29.10.24. | 13:01
The 32-year-old has featured in all four editions of the premier men's club competition for four different teams
In their quest to make history as the first Kenyan club to qualify for Basketball Africa League (BAL), Bradley Ibs-coached Nairobi City Thunder have signed another African star, Niger's Abdoulaye Harouna.
He joins Lebanese international of South Sudanese descent Ater James Majok, a former BAL winner with Monastir.
"New fire in the lineup! Welcome @aharouna30 to Thunder Nation! With MVP honors, top-scorer in the FIBA Africa Qualifiers, and a Best Defensive Player award under his belt, Harouna is bringing next-level skill and intensity to the court," the club announced on Tuesday morning.
Harouna has featured in all four editions of the premier men's club competition for four different teams.
Nigerien side AS NIGELEC was the starting point for Harouna to make his name known across Africa, representing the club in the inaugural Road to BAL. However, it was with Cameroon’s Forces Armées et Police Basketball (F.A.P) that the then 28-year-old Nigerien reached stardom.
He led FAP in scoring with 19.3 points per game and guided his team to the quarterfinals of the first season held in Rwanda under Covid-19 restrictions.
Since November 2021, Harouna has played in Morocco with AS Salé of the Division Excellence. He helped them win the Division Excellence title in 2022.
After starting the season in Morocco with Salé in February 2023, he joined the ABC Fighters for Season 3 of BAL, where he played alongside Thunder skipper Tylor Ongwae under former Kenya Morans coach Liz Mills.
The side lost in the playoff quarters to Petro de Luanda.
In December 2023, he signed with Senegalese club AS Douanes, runners-up of the previous BAL season, for the 2024 season.
On 5 May 2024, Harouna scored a BAL career-high 35 points in a 76–59 win over Monastir.
Douanes was later eliminated in the quarterfinals by Petro de Luanda but Harouna led the league in steals with 4 per game, and was named to the All-BAL Defensive First Team for the first time.
He was also named to the All-BAL Second Team.

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