Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya) notched their first victory in the 2025 BAL Nile Conference (https://BAL.NBA.com/), pulling off a surprise 85-76 win over South Africa’s MBB in the opening game of Day 5.
Albert Odero spearheaded Thunder’s effort with a team-high 23 points, while five other players also scored in double figures. Nairobi dominated the boards with a 53-43 rebounding advantage and showcased their speed with 27 fast break points.
Despite MBB’s loss, forward Teafale Lenard Jr turned heads with a standout performance, pouring in a game-high 38 points—setting a new single-game scoring record for the 2025 BAL season.
In the day’s second matchup, Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) extended their unbeaten run to five games with a thrilling 106-102 victory over hosts APR (Rwanda).
Jaylen Adams led Al Ahli with 26 points, supported by Jean Jacques Boissy and Mohammed Sadi, who each added 15. APR’s Obadiah Noel (30 points) and Chasson Randle (25 points) delivered exceptional performances, but their efforts fell just short.
The scintillating contest made BAL history, as Al Ahli became the first team in the 2025 season to surpass the 100-point mark in three games. It also marked the first time two teams crossed the 100-point threshold in the same game this season.
The Nile Conference concludes on Sunday with two final showdowns: Al Ahli Tripoli vs. MBB at 2:30 p.m., followed by Nairobi City Thunder vs. APR at 5:30 p.m. CAT.
Africa Fact: West Africa had walled towns and cities in the pre-colonial period. Winwood Reade, an English historian visited West Africa in the nineteenth century and commented that: “There are . . . thousands of large walled cities resembling those of Europe in the Middle Ages, or of ancient Greece.”
Dahlia
The first rugby team to perform the Haka did so 1888 – The Haka, a traditional dance of Maori People, was first performed by New Zealand Rugby Team The Natives in 1888 to demonstrate their pride, strength, and unity. It has been performed before games ever since and has become a symbol of rugby for New Zealand. Whether you’re a Kiwi or not, it’s one of those spine-tingling moments when you know a big game is about to be played. The Haka is one of the most iconic moments in rugby
Tse Tse Guy
The unique oval shape of rugby balls can be traced back to their original construction using leather casings and pig’s bladders. These early rugby balls retained the natural oval form of pig bladders, and despite modern manufacturing techniques, the traditional shape has been preserved.