Nairobi City Thunder play Ugandan opponents in East Division qualifier matches of Basketball Africa League
Nairobi City Thunder Player Eugene Adera (right) is challenged by Gerry Wekesa (second right) of KPA Men Basketball team during their second Final Match of the Kenya Basketball League at KPA Makande Gymnasium on September 7, 2025.
Kenyan champions, Nairobi City Thunder, begin their campaign in Basketball Africa League (BAL) on Tuesday when they compete in East Division Elite 16 stage against newcomers Namuwongo Blazers from Uganda at the Moi International Sports Centre Indoor Arena.
Teams that win BAL East Division Elite 16 stage will qualify for the tournament proper.
Last year, Nairobi City Thunder became the first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL proper, after winning the East Division Elite 16, having made their debut in the group phase of “Road to BAL” tournament and finishing second. Namuwongo Blasers are making their first appearance, having prevailed in the Group Phase.
On Thursday, Nairobi Thunder will take on Johannesburg Giants from South Africa in their second match of Pool ‘A’ from at 6pm for a place in the semi-final.
Bravehearts from Malawi, Zambia’s Matero Magic, Ferroviario Da Beira from Mozambique and Tanzania’s Dar City Basketball make up Pool ‘B’.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, planned for Saturday. The final match will be played on Sunday.
Thunder, who again won the 2025 national league unbeaten, will be hoping for a breakthrough right from the East Division Elite 16 stage to the Nile Conference, and into the final play-offs.
In April 2025, Nairobi City Thunder finished fourth in Nile Conference of BAL behind Al Ahli Tripoli from Libya, APR of Rwanda, and South Africa’s MBB. The Nile Conference matches were played in Kigali, Rwanda.
“We want to prove that what happened last year is behind us, and we get better every day,” Nairobi City Thunder’s captain, Tyler Ongwae, observed.
He said the team is better prepared for the tournament this season since the players have trained together longer this season.
Besides Ongwae, the other key players to watch at Nairobi City Thunder are new signings Bram Muchina from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Lance Thomas from United States of America, and Chase Adams who played for BAL Combined team in 2024, and South Sudan-born Lebanese Ater Majok who was in Nairobi City Thunder’s squad last year.
Namuwongo Blazers from Uganda are a force to reckon with, having ended decade-long dominance of the Ugandan league by City Oilers.
