Nairobi City Thunder, Kenya’s reigning National Basketball Premier League champions, ignited their FIBA Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifying campaign with a thunderous 103-59 victory over South Africa’s M.B.B. on Thursday night.

The electrifying opener at Nyayo Gymnasium marked the start of the Elite 16 East Division Championship, a high-stakes tournament offering two coveted tickets to the 2025 BAL Finals. The event runs through December 3, and Thunder’s emphatic win sent shockwaves across the competition.
Although Thunder trailed 17-19 in the first quarter, they quickly turned the tables under head coach Bras Ibs, unleashing a relentless offensive onslaught. They dominated the remaining quarters with scores of 31-18, 22-17, 29-06, and 33-05, turning the game into a showcase of their supremacy.
The newest star in Thunder’s lineup, Abdoulaye Harouna, stole the show with a game-high 18 points and two assists, proving to be a vital asset. Contributions poured in across the board, with Garang Diing adding 16 points and three rebounds, Kennedy Wachira and Albert Odero chipping in 15 points each, while team captain Tylor Ongwae and new recruit Uche Iroegbu rounded off the double-digit scorers with 10 points apiece.
The win puts Thunder in pole position in Group A, but their challenge is far from over. They face Cape Verde’s Kriol Stars on Friday before closing the group stage against Malawi’s Bravehearts Basketball on Sunday. The top two teams from the Elite 16 will advance to the BAL Finals, a milestone no Kenyan team has achieved before.

Thunder’s revamped squad is built for this historic mission, featuring five new signings, including Harouna, Kenyan stars Ongwae, Eugene Adera, Derrick Mekenye Ogechi, Nigerian Uchenna Iroegbu, and American William Sidney Davis II. The bolstered lineup is a testament to Thunder’s ambition to dominate the continental stage.
Elsewhere in Group A, Cape Verde’s Kriol Stars opened their campaign with a commanding 89-58 win over Bravehearts, adding more fire to the group’s competition.
With their eyes firmly set on making history, Nairobi City Thunder is poised to electrify the tournament and finally secure Kenya a place in Africa’s most prestigious basketball competition, the 2025 BAL Finals.

