Nairobi City Thunder roar again, clinch Road to BAL East Division title at home

Backed by a roaring home crowd, Nairobi City Thunder edged South Africa’s Johannesburg Giants 94–84 to capture the Road to BAL East Division title in a high-energy final at a packed Kasarani Indoor Arena on Sunday night.

The victory sealed Thunder’s second straight East Division Elite 16 crown, a historic back-to-back achievement celebrated by more than 5,000 fans who filled the arena to capacity.

Both Thunder and Giants booked their places in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) by reaching the final, but it was the Kenyan champions, hosting the East Division Elite 16 for the second year in a row, who stamped their authority on home soil.

Under head coach Brad Ibs, Thunder had already booked their BAL ticket after a dominant 109–70 semifinal win over Mozambique’s Ferroviario de Beira. Riding that momentum, they controlled the final early, taking the first quarter 28–17 and edging the second 22–21 for a 50–38 halftime lead.

Thunder extended the gap after the break, overwhelming the Giants 33–23 in the third quarter. Although the South Africans mounted a late comeback, winning the fourth 23–11, Thunder’s early dominance ensured a comfortable 94–84 finish at the buzzer.

Captain Tylor Ongwae and center Ater Majok led by example with 17 points and four rebounds each, while Albert Odero chipped in 14 points. Eugene Adera was once again instrumental, posting 12 rebounds and eight assists to power the team on both ends of the court.

For Johannesburg Giants, Dhieu Abwok Deing delivered a standout performance, scoring a game-high 21 points.

Tanzania’s Dar City secured third place with an emphatic 92–77 win over Ferroviario de Beira.

Dar dominated the first half, leading 50–31 at the break, and held off Beira’s third-quarter surge to keep their hopes of a BAL 2026 wild-card alive.

Their fate now rests on a FIBA Africa decision to select a wild-card team from the third-place finishers across the divisions.