The stage is set for City Oilers as they prepare to compete in the Division East Elite 16 of the Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2025.
The tournament, scheduled to run from Thursday, November 28 to Tuesday, December 3 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya, will feature eight teams vying for two slots in next year’s BAL.
The Oilers, 10-time Ugandan champions and BAL regulars, have been drawn into Group B alongside South Sudan’s Fox Basketball, Zambia’s Matero Magic, and Burundi’s Urunani.
Group A features hosts Nairobi City Thunder, Kriol Star from Cape Verde, Brave Hearts from Malawi, and South Africa’s MBB Basketball.
The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals. The finalists will automatically qualify for the BAL 2025 season.
City Oilers will kick off their campaign against Fox Basketball on Thursday, November 28, before facing Matero Magic on Friday and wrapping up the group stage against Urunani on Sunday.
Fox, who earned their place in the Elite 16 through a wildcard, and were coached by former Oilers coach Mandy Juruni in the qualifiers, will pose a formidable challenge for the Ugandan champions.
However, having reached the BAL main stage in the past two seasons, the City Oilers will be determined to maintain their streak and make a strong statement in Nairobi.
Ahead of the tournament, the Oilers have announced a 12-man roster headlined by seasoned players like captain Ivan Odeke, Petty Parrish, Falando Jones, Germaine Roebuck Jr., and Titus Odeke.
Notable new additions include Waleed Ali Omar-Muzahim, a rising star from IHoops, and Israel Otobo, who joins from Rwanda’s APR.
Notably, the team will be without Peter Obleng, a recent signing from KIU Titans.
Obleng is ineligible to play after featuring for Fox Basketball during the competition’s group phase in Zimbabwe earlier this year.
According to tournament rules, a player cannot represent two teams in the same competition.
