BAL Season 5: Al Ahli Tripoli and APR thrill dominate on day one of the Nile Conference in Kigali.

By Nsonyi Armstrong

Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya gets historic first win at #BAL against a defiant MBB of South Africa.
APR BBC of Rwanda thrill home fans with a big win against Nairobi City Thunder of Kenya.

The Basketball Africa League’s Nile Conference tipped off on Saturday May 17, 2025, at BK Arena in Kigali. Four teams in competition, 3 playoff spots to grab: Al Ahli Tripoli, Made in Africa Basketball Club, Nairobi City Thunder, and APR BBC.

In the opening game, Al Ahli Tripoli toppled MBB, 87-77. Outstanding performance by Jean-Jacques Boissy (Al Ahli Tripoli). The former NBA Academy Africa student-athlete scored 28 points, including 24 from behind the arc, got seven rebounds and three steals.

Home celebrate solid start by APR BBC against Nairobi City Thunder in game two. Aliou Diarra and Chasson Randle scored a combined 41 points, 44% of APR’s tally in a 93-63 win. A confident Aliou Diarra put up a masterclass: 21 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks and four steals. APR’s number 10 came so close to matching the #BAL record for the highest number of blocks in a single game. The record is held by Khaman Maluach with 7 blocks.

The Nile Conference continues on Sunday, Nairobi City Thunder (South Africa) takes on Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) at 2:30 p.m. and MBB(South Africa) faces APR(Rwanda) at 5:30 p.m. CAT.