Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 5 News: Nairobi City Thunder prepare for a return to the Road to BAL Elite 16, while REG strengthen for the Women’s Basketball League Africa qualifiers and Uganda’s NBL Final faces delays amid Road to BAL scheduling conflicts.
Last Updated on
October 24, 2025
Back-to-back unbeaten Kenyan Basketball League champions, Nairobi City Thunder (NCT), are back preparing for their second participation in the Road to BAL's Elite 16, set for November.
The Bradley Ibs-coached side is expected to bolster its squad for the tough test ahead, with hopes of making it to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the second straight season. NCT became the first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL, going on to play in the Nile Conference but only winning one of their six games and subsequently missing out on a spot in the post-season.
Ibs has already roped in 2025 BAL Combine MVP Chase Adams, with more signings expected to be revealed in the coming days. With Thunder beginning their journey at the Elite 16 level, likely returning to Nairobi for the second year in a row, Adams is a needed addition to the side that struggled with depth on their BAL debut.
As this year’s Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone Five qualifiers inch closer, reigning WBLA silver medalists Rwanda Energy Group (REG) have made two crucial additions to their roster.
The East African club powerhouse inked deals with Rwandese International Chantal Kiyobe and Congolese power forward Grace Malu Irebu, who featured for Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the just-concluded Kenyan league. Irebu was named MVP after guiding KPA to the championship.
The duo join a squad that has also appointed Senegalese Malick Goudiaby as the new head coach ahead of the tournament. He brings a wealth of experience, having coached the Dakar University Club Women and the ASC Ville de Dakar.
The highly anticipated National Basketball League (NBL) Final tipoff between Namuwongo Blazers and the City Oilers hangs in the balance as the federation and Road to BAL Elite 16-bound Blazers clash.
Blazers have maintained that the agreement was that the series would begin on Sunday, 26 October, and have since released a fixture to that effect on social media, while the federation has done the same for tonight’s action.
A postponement was necessitated by the Blazers’ participation in the Road to BAL in Tanzania. After writing to FUBA requesting that the playoffs be moved to at least 31 October, an agreement was reached for Sunday, 26 October.
“However, while we were in Tanzania on October 17 for the BAL qualifiers, we were surprised to see an unofficial fixture circulating on social media that the NBL Finals would now begin on Friday, October 24. This sudden change contradicted the earlier agreement and disrupted our carefully planned activities. Consequently, on October 19, 2025, we wrote to FUBA seeking clarity, citing the General Secretary's earlier confirmation of the October 26 start date."
"On October 20, Mr Donan Byabazaire wrote back stating that the reason for the adjustment was that the team, having qualified, needed more time to prepare for Elite 16. However, the unofficial fixture was already in circulation by the 15th October 2025, way before our qualification for Elite 16 was confirmed (Team qualification was on the 19th October), a reason we find unacceptable and far-fetched,” Blazers' statement reads in part.
The team maintains that they remain committed to honouring the October 26 start date as previously agreed and communicated.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/FUBA]
