•As Thunder stun Tigers to end Kalahari conference
By JOE APU
With the Kalahari Conference drawing to a close in Pretoria, attention in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) now shifts to Rabat, Morocco, where Nigeria’s champions, the Maktown Flyers, will battle for a place in the Sahara Conference and a shot at continental glory.
The Kalahari Conference concluded at the SunBet Arena with a dramatic twist, as Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder shocked the previously unbeaten RSSB Tigers of Rwanda with a 101–92 victory. Derrick Ogechi led the Thunder with 22 points, while Tylor Ongwae added 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists to seal a memorable win and hand the Tigers their first defeat of the group phase.
In the final game of the conference, Angola’s Petro de Luanda underlined their pedigree with a commanding 105–61 win over the Johannesburg Giants. Javion Blake led the charge with 21 points and nine assists, while Aboubacar Gakou posted a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
At the end of the Kalahari Conference, RSSB Tigers, Petro de Luanda, Al Ahly Ly of Libya and Dar City of Tanzania secured their tickets to the BAL Playoffs in Kigali, Rwanda, scheduled for May 22–31 at the BK Arena.
For Nigeria’s Maktown Flyers, however, the focus now turns to the Sahara Conference in Rabat, Morocco, where they will face stiff competition from some of the continent’s elite clubs. The Flyers will line up against hosts FUS Rabat, Egypt’s powerhouse Al Ahly, Senegal’s ASC Ville de Dakar, Tunisia’s Club Africain, and Côte d’Ivoire’s JCA Kings, in a battle for the remaining playoff spots.
The Rabat leg, scheduled from April 24 to May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, represents a crucial opportunity for the Nigerian champions to assert themselves on the continental stage and secure progression to Kigali.
With momentum building across the BAL, all eyes will be on the Maktown Flyers as they aim to fly Nigeria’s flag high in one of Africa’s most competitive basketball arenas.
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