City Oilers Make Bold Move: Karim Nesba Named New Head Coach for BAL Campaign

Nesba Karim Named New City Oilers Head Coach for Basketball Africa League Campaign

Nine-time Ugandan National Basketball League champions, the City Oilers, have made a bold move by appointing Karim Nesba as their new head coach just over two weeks before their 2024 Basketball Africa League campaign.

Nesba, a former player for the Moroccan national team with professional experience in Belgium and Morocco with AS Salé, steps into the role previously held by Andrew Tendo, who was initially appointed to succeed Mandy Juruni in December 2023.

While some may find this decision surprising, insiders suggest that the City Oilers' front office strategically sought Karim's experience at the NBA/Basketball Africa League level to lead the team forward during their Nile Conference regular season campaign. The Moroccan playcaller previously served on the coaching staff of the Toronto Raptors during the 2023 NBA Summer League.  He also took the helm as head coach of the NBA Academy Africa during the 2023 Road to BAL qualifiers, guiding the team to a 2-1 record, with impressive victories against Kenya Port Authority (KPA) and Urunani.

The Nile Conference is set to tip off on April 19th in Cairo, Egypt. The City Oilers will face off against tough competition from reigning BAL champions, local favourites Al Ahly, and three-time Libyan champions Al-Ahly SC and Bangui SC from the Central African Republic.