JKT, Nairobi City Thunder square off in final group matchup
COAST REGION: TANZANIA’S envoy at the Basketball Africa League (BAL) East Division Group D qualifiers, JKT, face a crucial match today against Kenyan champions, Nairobi City Thunder as the tournament concludes.
The five-day event, held at Filbert Bayi Indoor Stadium in Kibaha, Coast region, features five teams competing in a round-robin format to determine the top two teams that will advance to the Elite 16 stage.
The event is organised by the host, Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF) in collaboration with NBA Africa, with the aim of growing basketball across the continent.
Unfortunately for Tanzania’s JKT, their hopes of progressing have been dimmed after two defeats in their opening matches.
Before taking on Kenyan Thunder in today tournament closing, JKT were on action against the Seychelles’ side Beau Vallon Heat yesterday night, which are yet to win a game, having lost all three of their previous encounters.
However, Thunder’s fate now hinges on their performance against JKT after narrowly lost to Burundian champions Urunani BBC in an exciting 89-88 match on Friday night.
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The Kenyan team, who also find themselves in a do-or-die situation, will have to secure a win against JKT to keep their hopes alive hoping GNBC also concede to Urunani.
Nairobi City Thunder’s earlier defeat to Urunani BBC makes today’s match against JKT crucial for them.
Meanwhile, GNBC of Madagascar, who have already secured victories in their first two matches, were on an important match against Nairobi City Thunder yesterday evening.
GNBC’s strong performance was underscored by their dominant 98-72 victory over Beau Vallon Heat on Friday and they are yet to lose a match in the competiti
Urunani BBC, with a perfect record of three wins from three, enter their final match today with high hopes of securing the top spot in the group.
The Burundian champions, who edged out Nairobi City Thunder in a thrilling 89-88 game, have been one of the standout teams in the tournament.
They are led by key players such as Jean-Bocquis Boissy, a former AS Douanes and NBA Academy Africa graduate, and Chris Crawford, who contributed 24 points and six, assists in their victory against Thunder.
Urunani’s captain, Mohamed Doumbya, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying is happy with the execution in the match.
“We shared the ball well and were able to dictate the pace. We hope to carry the same momentum into the last matches.”
As the group stage concludes, all eyes are on today’s crucial matchups to determine which two teams will advance to the next stage of the BAL qualifiers.
