The 2025 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) kicked off on Sunday April 6, 2025 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat. Fans watched two exciting games, lively performances at halftime, and the beat of African basketball.
In the first game, Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers beat Mali’s Stade Malien 81-60, hinting at title hopes. Kelvin Amayo led the Hoopers with 19 points while Madut Akec added 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Hoopers were strong on the boards with 49 rebounds to Stade Malien’s 43 and passed the ball well with 19 assists. Despite Stade Malien’s Mahamane Coulibaly scoring 20 points and Mouhamed Doumbya adding 18 points and 11 rebounds, they could not match the Hoopers’ pace and skill.
In the second game, Egypt’s Al Ittihad won 71-60 over FUS Rabat, the Moroccan hosts. George King, once an NBA player, scored 19 points for Al Ittihad. Majok Deng was also key with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Johnathan Jordan of FUS Rabat scored 22 points but it was not enough to win in the last quarter. Al Ittihad dominated the boards with 52 rebounds to FUS Rabat’s 40 and defended the perimeter well to win.
Moroccan rap star ElGrandeToto lit up the halftime show during the FUS Rabat vs. Al Ittihad game, blending music with sport, much to the crowd’s delight.
Nairobi City Thunder, the top team in Kenya’s Basketball Federation Premier League, is aiming to represent the country on the continental stage. With stars like Griffin Ligare and Albert Odero, hoping to inspire the team to a win
The tournament continues Monday with Stade Malien facing Al Ittihad at 4 p.m. local time, followed by Rivers Hoopers taking on hosts FUS Rabat at 7 p.m.
As the games proceed, fans across Africa—especially in Kenya—hope East Africa will soon secure a regular spot in BAL. The rise of Nairobi City Thunder shows that Kenyan basketball is edging closer to the big stage.
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