• BASKETBALL

• Frank Rotich 20 days ago

Nairobi City Thunder set to face new opponent as APR withdraw from BAL

Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder will face a different opponent in this year’s Basketball Africa League after Rwanda’s APR Rwanda pulled out of the tournament due to reported political tensions involving the United States.

The withdrawal was confirmed on Thursday by the Rwanda Basketball Federation. APR had been scheduled to compete in the Kalahari Conference, where they were set to face Nairobi City Thunder and other top teams.

FERWABA did not give detailed reasons for APR’s decision to withdraw, but announced that RSSB Tigers will replace the team in the competition.

In a statement, the federation said RSSB Tigers earned the chance after an impressive domestic season. The club won both the 2025 Rwanda Cup and the 2026 Super Cup, showing they are ready to compete at the continental level.

Reports indicate that APR’s withdrawal could be linked to rising tensions between United States and Rwanda following sanctions imposed on the Rwandan army and its senior commanders over the conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

APR, which represents the Rwandan national army, may have been affected because the Basketball Africa League is operated in partnership with the National Basketball Association.

Founded in 1993, APR had been preparing for its third straight BAL season. The team achieved its best result in 2025 when it finished third in the competition.

With APR out, RSSB Tigers now become the fourth different team from Rwanda to qualify for the Basketball Africa League.

The Kalahari Conference will take place in Pretoria from March 27 to April 5. Apart from Nairobi City Thunder and RSSB Tigers, other teams in the group include Petro de Luanda, Johannesburg Giants, Al Ahly Libya and Dar City.

Only eight teams from the Kalahari and Sahara conferences will qualify for the playoffs and finals, which will be held at BK Arena in Kigali from May 22 to May 31.