APR Basketball Club have been dealt a big blow as they could play the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) without two of their key players, Osborn Shema and Nobel Boungou, who face lengthy spells on the sidelines through injuries. The duo featured in APR 's 94-92 win over United Generation Basketball (UGB) in the 2025 basketball GMT final held at Petit Stade indoor gymnasium on Sunday, April 27, but they couldn 't finish the match as they left the court injured. Scans have confirmed that Shema tore his ACL and is expected to be out for six to nine months, while Boungou, 36, tore his Achilles tendon and will be out for eight-12 months.APR will begin their BAL 2025 campaign with the Nile Conference which will run from May 17-25 at BK Arena, with spots for the playoffs and finals due in Pretoria, South Africa from May 27 to June 4, up for grabs.Standing at 2.02m, Boungou signed for APR in March alongside former NBA star Jordan McRae, just two months before playing BAL. ALSO READ: Basketball: What will Jordan McRae, Nobel Boungou bring to APR?The Congolese-French small forward has competed at the highest level in France, representing clubs such as Antibes Sharks and Metropolitans 92 as well as the French national team. He has also played in Italy, where he won the Italian Basketball Cup with Fiat Torino.While APR were hoping to count on his experience at the competition, they will be made to find an alternate solution after losing him to an injury, days before the BAL. Meanwhile, Shema has, until the injury, been among the standout performers in the domestic league this season, making remarkable contributions to APR’s impressive regular season.
