NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 13 – Nairobi City Thunder offered a glimpse of their impressive squad depth ahead of both domestic and continental assignments, as they kicked off preparations for the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Kalahari Conference with an in-house friendly dubbed “Thunder Nights.”
The exhibition game saw the squad split into two sides – Team Orange and Team Blue – with a few external additions to ensure a highly competitive encounter aimed at gauging the Kenyan champions’ readiness ahead of their continental campaign in two weeks’ time.
At the end of an entertaining night at the Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium, Team Orange, led by assistant coaches Rose Mshilla and Sadat Gaya, emerged victorious with a 94–80 win over Team Blue, who were guided by head coach Brad Ibs alongside assistant coach Carrey Odhiambo.
Team Orange featured shooting guard Derrick Ogechi, Moses Alier, Garang Ding, Nur Aden, Larry Shavanga, Dikong’ Kong’or, Bramwell Muchina and Okall Koranga, with former Kenyan international Desmond Owili also joining the lineup.
Team Blue, on the other hand, was stacked with new signings Lance Thomas and Josh Nzeakor, captain Tyler Ongwae, Dismas ‘Dima’ Mbaka, Ariel Ortega, Eugene Adera and Faheem Juma, alongside former Thunder player James Mwangi, who rejoined for the friendly after leaving the club at the end of last season.
Ogechi starred for Team Orange, finishing as the game’s top scorer with 27 points, while Garang Ding added another 20. For Team Blue, Nzeakor and Ongwae both tallied 17 points each, with the Nigerian-American forward also recording a double-double after pulling down 11 rebounds.
Adera, Nzeakor, Thomas and Ongwae logged more than 30 minutes on the court for Team Blue, while Ogechi, Dikong’ and Muchina carried the heavier minutes for Team Orange — a clear indication of the coaching staff’s intention to give the BAL-bound players valuable game rhythm.
Kong’or was dominant on the boards for Team Orange, finishing with a game-high 18 rebounds, 16 of them on the defensive end.
The match also provided Thunder fans with their first look at the club’s two new imports. Lance Thomas, however, was a familiar face, having previously featured for Thunder during their Elite 16 triumph at the Kasarani Gymnasium last November.
The lively exhibition, which drew a sizeable turnout of Thunder supporters, also served as a build-up to Friday night’s highly anticipated league clash against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
Although Thomas and Nzeakor will not be eligible for the fixture, the match offers the rest of the Pretoria-bound squad another opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge ahead of the BAL campaign.
