Thunder facing familiar foe, herculean tasks as BAL season 6 beckons

Nairobi City Thunder will resume Basketball Africa League (BAL) action barely a month from now when the league’s sixth season of the premier continental showpiece gets underway in Pretoria.

The Bradley Ibs-coached side begin their campaign for a playoff place in the 12-team competition on Friday, 27 March through to Sunday, 5 April in the Kalahari Conference group phase, facing familiar opponents.

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Thunder, on their second BAL cameo, having become the first Kenyan team to qualify last season, take on hosts Johannesburg Giants, Libya's Al Ahly Benghazi , Rwanda's APR, Tanzania's Dar City and and Angola's Petrol de Luanda.

The other six teams play in the Sahara Conference group phase from Friday, 24 April to Sunday, 3 May at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco. The Playoffs and Finals are set for from Friday, 22 to Sunday, 31 May at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

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The two-time Kenyan champions face two teams that qualified through the Road to BAL East Division Elite 16, Dar City and South Africa's Giants, as well as APR Rwanda, a side they played in the BAL Conference phase last season.

Dar City Vs Thunder (28 March)

Against Dar City, Thunder face a side they watched but did not play against in the Elite 16 held in November 2025 at Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium.

While Ibs' charges went on to defend the East Division crown at home, a star-studded Dar City secured their spot courtesy of a wild card after finishing third in the qualifiers with a 92–77 win over Ferroviario da Beira. The Tanzanian side becomes the first side to represent the East African country in BAL.

This matchup marks a significant moment for East African basketball, as both clubs look to advance from a tough conference that also includes 2024 champions Petro de Luanda, runners-up Benghazi and hosts Johannesburg Giants.

In addition to retaining coach Mamadou Gueye, the 2023 BAL Coach of the Year, the Tanzanian outfit has roped in Nabil Kabalan, adding proven experience from the man who was part of Al Ahli Tripoli's BAL 2025-winning bench and also led Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to sixth place on return to the Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) in December 2025.

Johannesburg Giants Vs Thunder (29 March)

There's a lot to play for in this match-up as the hosts seek revenge against the Kenyan side that defeated them twice in the Road to BAL Elite 16 last November. The sides met in the group stage, playing for a 86-83 win with the Nairobi-based side picking a more convincing 94-84 victory in the East Division final.

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The Florsheim Ngwenya-led side have the advantage as hosts and continue to strengthen their squad ahead of the showpiece. Their latest addition is the 7’3 Johannesburg native David Craig, who made his professional debut in BAL Season 5, shooting an elite 78% from the field and 83% from the line while anchoring the defence as a rim protector.

Craig, the tallest player in BAL history, made his mark as an efficient interior presence. A former NCAA Division 1 player with Mercer and Tennessee Tech, Craig now returns home to help Giants in their BAL Season 6 campaign.

Thunder Vs Petrol de Luanda (1 April)

While they have not played each other, both teams have established records in the BAL and its qualifying tournaments, with the Angola side boasting a record of the only team to have qualified for all six BAL seasons, lifting the title in 2024.

Thunder have their work cut out as they go against a side that has consistently reached the playoff semi finals. In 2025, the side reached the Final for the third time, losing 88-68 to holders Al Ahli Tripoli. This came a year after defeating Al Ahly Benghazi 107–94 in the final to lift their first title.

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Thunder Vs Al Ahly Benghazi (3 April)

Thunder could not hold a candle to Tripoli-based defending champions in the 2025 season when they faced off in the Nile Conference in Kigali.

Al Ahli Tripoli won both matchups against Thunder, first playing for a 115-87 win, setting a then-BAL record for the most points scored by a team in a single game. In the repeat fixture four days later, the Libyans won 104-91, effectively ending Thunder's hopes for a playoff spot.

Al Ahli Tripoli went on to become the first Libyan team to win the BAL, on debut. This was also the first time a conference winner has won the BAL, and the first time a BAL Coach of the Year, Fouad Abou Chacra, has led a team to the championship title.

However, Ibs charges now face a new challenge in the 2024 runners-up Benghazi, who won the 2025 league to make a return to the continental stage, and are eager to replicate their debut show.

After finishing second in the Nile Conference, in 2024, they entered the playoffs as the seventh seed but were able to eliminate the defending champions Al Ahly from Egypt. In the semifinal, they beat Rivers Hoopers from Nigeria in overtime.

In the decisive final, they lost to Petro de Luanda to finish in second place with their player Jo Lual-Acuil named the BAL Most Valuable Player of the season.

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APR Vs Thunder (5 April)

Kenyan and Thunder fans will always remember Obadiah Noel's buzzer-beating trey in a 77-74 outcome when APR faced the Kenyan champions in the 2025 BAL Conferences. The score lifted the Rwandese side to the playoffs while condemning Thunder to a second consecutive loss to APR, following a 92-63 loss in the Nile Conference opener.

Coach Ibs' charges face a battle-hardened side in APR, the side having reached the semifinals of the 2025 BAL but were defeated 84-71 by eventual champions Al Ahli Tripoli. They finished the season in third-place after a playoff win against Egypt's Al Ittihad. Their exploits included a 75-57 victory over 2024 champions Petro de Luanda.