Nairobi City Thunder, the first Kenyan team to qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL), is chasing a third consecutive appearance when the Road to BAL East Division Elite 16 comes to Nairobi from Tuesday, 17 to Sunday, 22 November.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Bradley Ibs-led side clinched their third league title on Friday, 2 October at Kasarani Indoor Arena, sweeping Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 3-0 to complete a 90-0 three-year run that has seen them win three titles back-to-back.Thunder have received a bye from the group phase of the Road to BAL and, just like last year, will begin their campaign in the Elite 16. The group stage gets underway on Wednesday, 21 October and is expected to run to the end of the month, with five groups in action.WNBA star, Kenyan international in as KPA strengthen squad ahead of WBLA qualifiersHaving established themselves as the team to beat at home, coach Ibs is hoping to carry that momentum to the BAL qualifiers and beyond, saying, "We would really love some hardware from the BAL this coming season. That is our main focus now,” said Ibs.Thunder are yet to establish themselves on the BAL stage, with the last two campaigns having highlighted the significant competitive gap between domestic basketball and the continental elite. NBA defends decision to close sole Africa training academyWhile they dominantly sweep local tournaments without losing a game, their international record has not been as successful.In their debut season, Thunder fought through the intense Nile Conference but struggled to find consistency against top-tier international squads. They picked up an 85-76 victory against the MBB Blue Soldiers but suffered tough losses to regional giants, including a narrow 77-74 defeat against Rwanda's APR and a 104-91 loss to Al Ahli Tripoli, failing to advance to the knockout stages.##NAJAVA_MECA_10012305##In 2026, playing in the Kalahari Conference, Thunder showed clearer signs of competitive growth, though they ultimately failed to advance past the group phases.They achieved a massive 101-92 win over the RSSB Tigers of Rwanda and a gritty 71-65 victory over the Joburg Giants (South Africa). However, defeats to Dar City (90-85), Petro de Luanda (97-70), and Al Ahly Ly (107-80) cut their tournament short“It’s (previous campaign) a great mirror for us to just look at ourselves and not become too overconfident with local success,” Ibs says.Madina Okot's Atlanta Dream claim early advantage in WNBA's road to final