NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21 – Derrick Ogechi put up a man of the match performance as Nairobi City Thunder secured a ticket to the Elite 16 round of the 2025 Basketball Africa League, with an 86-63 victory over home side JKT in their final East Division match in Kibaha, Tanzania.
Thunder needed a victory against the Tanzanian army men to secure a place in the Elite 16, by finishing in the top two. They left with a 3-1 run, their only defeat coming at the hands of Burundi’s Urunani, a match they lost by half a basket.
Ogechi put on a show with a return of 24 points and seven rebounds with 28 minutes on the floor. Ogechi, who was signed last month by Thunder to help in their Continental quest, was delighted that the team secured one of the two available slots for the next round.
“We came here with a target of going unbeaten to qualify. A heartbreaking one-point loss to Urunani denied us a perfect run but we are happy to be in the Elite 16. Playing the home team in our final match was not easy. We struggled to make stops in the beginning but made adjustments in time for victory. The first hurdle is done so we shift our focus to Elite 16,” Ogechi said, speaking after the game.
Albert Odero and Tyler Ongwa also registered double digit points, Ongwae picking 10 while Odero had 17. Thunder missed their big man Will Davis, who picked up an injury in the match against Urunani.
Thunder had a slow start with JKT leading 20-18 at the end of the first quarter, but outscored the hosts 23-9 in the second quarter to take control of the game.
The national champions now come back home to restrategize on a tougher Elite 16 round, and will be looking to become the first ever Kenyan team to go past this stage and qualify for the final tournament in Kigali, Rwanda, next year.
