Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder will be hoping to turn around their Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, when they take on South Africa’s Made By Basketball (MBB) at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

After suffering back-to-back defeats in their opening two matches, falling 92-63 to APR and 115-87 to Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, the Kenyan champions are under immense pressure to bounce back and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Despite the rough start, Thunder’s forward Griffin Adera remains optimistic that the charges can pull positive results in their upcoming matches.

“I don’t think anything changes. We are still determined to make it to the playoffs and that is what we are going to try to do. We just have to win our remaining games,” Adera said on Monday, May 19, 2025 during a pre-match briefing.

Adera was Thunder’s second-best performer against Al Ahli, posting 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Nigerian-born guard Uchenna Iroegbu led the scoring with 18 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.

Lessons learned

Head coach Brad Ibs acknowledged the mistakes made in the opening games but believes they have provided vital lessons.

“We are making little mistakes, which have been punished. Al Ahli did a great job of turning them into bigger advantages, and then they made shots. Our aggression and communication need to get better,” Ibs said.

WATCH:

Nairobi City Thunder BBC head coach, Bradley Thomas, remains optimistic despite a 92-63 loss to APR BBC in their opening Nile Conference game at the #BAL5.

He says the team is focused and hopeful for the remaining five games. #RBASports #TheBAL

🎥 @visualcolour pic.twitter.com/uOVUbwlrQv

— Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) (@rbarwanda) May 18, 2025

He added that watching game film and improving defensive cohesion would be key going into today’s fixture.

The Nile Conference format means the top two teams and the best third-place finisher, compared across the Kalahari and Nile Conferences, will book their ticket to the BAL Playoffs and Finals, scheduled for June 6–14 in Pretoria, South Africa.

Much to play for

Thunder’s campaign is far from over. They still have two matches to play, including a return fixture against MBB, and a strong finish could see them force their way into the top-three contention.

Coach Ibs and the players are hopeful that today’s clash could be the turning point.

“We’ve got to stay connected. We will watch the film and get better. That’s what we’re going to do,” Adera said.

The game against MBB is Thunder’s best chance yet to grab a lifeline in the group stage, and they know what’s at stake.