Nairobi City Thunder strike down Jo’burg Giants, stay in hunt for African title
Lance Robert Thomas (left) of Nairobi City Thunder attempts to dribble past Tonny Drileba of Namuwongo Blazers during the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on November 18, 2025.
What you need to know:
- US-born small forward, Albert Odero, was the hero of the night, sinking 21 points for Thunder, including the decisive winning basket.
- Johannesburg’s Dhieu Abwok Deing scored a game-high 27 points, supported by Joshua Ozabor (25) and Nkosinathi Sibanyoni (15).
Hosts Nairobi City Thunder on Thursday survived a fierce late surge by Johannesburg Giants to prevail 86-83 in a thrilling Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division match at Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi.
Following the victory, Nairobi City Thunder sealed top spot in Group 'A' to keep alive hope of a second straight qualification for BAL tournament proper.
Playing before 1,798 fans, Thunder got off the blocks with a dominant 24-14 first quarter lead, but their composure was tested to the limit as coach Bradley Ibs’ men narrowly trailed in the remaining three quarters 20-21, 19-21 and 23-27.
US-born small forward, Albert Odero, was the hero of the night, sinking 21 points, including the decisive winning basket to deny the South African side a comeback victory.
Cameron Adams (left) of Nairobi City Thunder attempts to drive past James Okello of Namuwongo Blazers during the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on November 18, 2025.
Tylor Ongwae contributed 18 points, and six assists for Thunder while American Lance Robert Thomas, and Eugene Adera added 14 and 11 points.
Johannesburg’s Dhieu Abwok Deing scored a game-high 27 points, supported by Joshua Ozabor (25) and Nkosinathi Sibanyoni (15). Despite the loss, the South African team still qualified for the semi-finals from the three-team pool.
The hosts opened their campaign in style on November 18 with an 89-62 dismantling of Uganda champions Namuwongo Blazers after breaking a 40-40 deadlock.
Nairobi City Thunder will now face Mozambique’s Ferroviario da Beira On Friday at the same venue. Ferroviario da Beira finished second in Group 'B'.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg Giants will battle it out with Dar City Basketball Team from Tanzania, who topped their group after maintaining a perfect run.
Ater Majok of Nairobi City Thunder goes for a basket against Namuwongo Blazers during the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on November 18, 2025.
In other Group 'B' matches played earlier on Thursday, Matero Magic of Zambia outlasted Malawi’s Bravehearts 78-71, fueled by Marc Seylan’s game-high 23 points. Bravehearts’ Sita Conteh led his side with 17 points, backed by consistent scoring from Maxwell Ngonga (16) and Fad Billy (13).
In another match, Dar City registered a hard-earned 87-78 victory over Ferroviario da Beira. Youssou Ndoye (22 points), Nisre Zouzoua (21), Raphiael Putney and Solo Diabate (14 each) and Deng Angok Yak Deng (11) were the high scorers for the Tanzanian side. Ferroviario relied on Helton Ubisse and Joshua Thomas who scored 17 and 16 points respectively.
The Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division tournament, which Kenya is hosting for a second straight year, has attracted seven teams.
The Elite 16 format split teams into two pools of three and four, with the top two from each pool advancing to Friday’s semi-finals.
The winners of the semi-final matches will clinch two slots reserved for teams from the region in the 2026 Basketball Africa League season.
