• BASKETBALL

• Frank Rotich 1 month ago

Nairobi City Thunder confirmed for 2026 BAL season

Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder are set to fly the country’s flag once again on the continental stage after being confirmed among the 12 teams for the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.

The Kenyan champions will compete in the Kalahari Conference group phase, which tips off on March 27 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.

Thunder return for their second BAL appearance after successfully navigating the Road to BAL qualifying tournaments, continuing Kenya’s growing presence in Africa’s premier club basketball competition.

The sixth BAL season will feature 12 teams from 12 African countries playing a total of 42 games across three cities. The Kalahari Conference matches will run from March 27 to April 5 in Pretoria.

The Sahara Conference group phase will follow from April 24 to May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco. The season will conclude with the Playoffs and Finals from May 22 to May 31 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

This year’s competition will also see a number of historic debuts. Dar City will become the first-ever team from Tanzania to feature in the BAL, while JCA Kings (Côte d’Ivoire), Maktown Flyers (Nigeria), Johannesburg Giants (South Africa) and Club Africain (Tunisia) will all make their maiden appearances.

Former champions including Petro de Luanda, winners in 2024 and the only team to qualify for all six BAL seasons, and Al Ahly , the 2023 champions, are also in the mix.

Seven national league champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia qualified automatically, while five teams including Nairobi City Thunder earned their spots through the FIBA Africa Road to BAL qualifiers held between October and December 2025.

In the group phase, each conference will play 15 games, with every team facing the other five teams in its conference once. Eight teams across the two conferences will advance to the playoffs in Kigali.

BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall welcomed the new teams, saying their inclusion reflects the league’s continued growth and the rising standard of basketball across the continent.

For Nairobi City Thunder, the 2026 season offers another opportunity to test themselves against Africa’s best and further cement Kenya’s place in elite continental basketball.