Road to BAL: Here's how Thunder's journey to BAL 2025 looks
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 25.11.24. | 21:00
The top two places of each group will advance to the Semi-Finals where the winners will qualify
Under the captaincy of Kenya's beloved basketballer who is playing club basketball on home soil for the first time, Tylor Ongwae, Nairobi City Thunder are four matches away from history.
The Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men's league champions are locked in an eight-team battle for the East Division Elite 16 two slots to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025, the fifth edition of the premier African men's club competition.
Should they surmount the pressure to reach the final in the competition scheduled for from Thursday 28 November to 3 December at Kasarani Indoor Arena, the Bradley Ibs-coached side will make history as the first Kenyan club to play BAL. Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Ulinzi Warriors have faltered in the Elite 16 in the previous editions, the Dockers playing in three of the four qualifying tournaments.
Ibs' charges begin their hunt in Group A on Thursday against South African champions MBB Blue Soldiers coached by Cyril Shabalala and captained by Lebese Selepa who is no stranger to BAL action as he has previously featured with Cape Town Tigers, the country's representatives since 2022.
The Kenyan champions will then face off with Cape Verde side Kriol Stars, who are in Nairobi courtesy of a wild card, having failed to qualify from Group E in the West Division Road to BAL qualifying campaign held in Libya, on Friday.
Saturday will be a rest day for all eight teams, action resuming on Sunday with Thunder taking on Malawi's Brave Hearts, a side that qualified from the five-team competition held in Zimbabwe.
Thunder who have BAL winner Ater James Majok and BAL 2024 steals leader who also made the All-BAL Defensive First Team in this year's extravaganza, Nigerien shooting guard Abdoulaye Harouna in their ranks will need to finish in the top two to reach the semis where they meet teams from Group B that is led by the only side from the Division to have played in BAL City Oilers.
Oilers, chasing a third consecutive BAL campaign, renew rivalry with Burundi's Urunani a side the Andrew Tendo-coached Ugandans dispensed in the Elite 16 semis to qualify for their first BAL in 2023. The Oilers then finished sixth in the Nile Conference after posting one win in their five matches.
In their second consecutive BAL season, they met and beat another Burundian side Dynamo in the Elite 16 Last Four to reach the 2024 BAL. Playing in the now four-team (as opposed to six) Nile Conference, they defeated the then defending champions Al Ahly but still finished last to miss out on the Playoffs.
On their part, Urunani are out to go the distance, having faltered in 2022. Zambia's Matero Magic and South Sudan's Fox Basketball, beneficiaries of a wild card, also pose a threat.
