▪️”All the Congolese were so excited—it was a level of happiness that is difficult to explain,” Mayambula told boxersworld.co.ke in Kinshasa

October 30, 2026

KINSHASA, DR Congo — Half a century ago, the eyes of the world were locked on Kinshasa for the Rumble in the Jungle.

For Nzau Mayambula, now 74 and serving as the Secretary General of the Congolese Boxing Federation, those memories remain as vivid as the floodlights of October 30, 1974.

Then a 22-year-old middleweight training under coach Ngunza Kibale at the local Kake Club, Mayambula’s entire life trajectory was reshaped by the night Muhammad Ali shocked the world by knocking out George Foreman in the eighth round to reclaim the world heavyweight crown.

Speaking from the sidelines of the Africa Elite Boxing Championships at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, Mayambula (pictured) reflected on a magical time when global music icons like James Brown and Miriam Makeba descended on the city, and the streets hummed with historic energy.

The people’s champion vs the reserved giant

“All the Congolese were excited—it was a level of happiness that is difficult to explain,” Mayambula recalls.

“That day inspired a generation of young men to take up boxing, all of them trying to imitate the two heavyweights. But Muhammad was always the favorite.”

The difference lay in how both men embraced Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). While Foreman remained reserved and detached, Ali fully immersed himself in the local culture. Though he trained out at a distant presidential estate in Nsele—requiring a long car journey to visit—Ali stayed centrally at the Grand Hotel (now the Pullman).

“Ali felt like a Congolese,” Mayambula says. “He would come right out of the hotel to speak with the ordinary people. He did his roadwork right alongside us, and they would watch us young local boxers training. During his training sessions, Ali would even lead the chants, singing ‘Ali, Boma ye!’ (Ali, kill him!) himself.”

 A 6:00 pm arrival pm for a 2:00 am fight

On the night of the bout, Mayambula and his friends arrived at the Stade du 20 Mai (now Stade Tata Raphaël) at 6:00pm, despite the opening bell being scheduled for 2:00am to accommodate US closed-circuit television markets.

“My dad gave me some money to buy a ticket. I can’t remember exactly how much it cost now, but by the time we got inside, the stadium was already completely packed with people sitting everywhere, right down to the ground,” he says.

Conspicuously absent from the stadium seats was Zaire’s dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, who had funded the record $10 million purse ($5 million for each fighter) to market his country globally. Fearing a security incident or a public coup under the global media glare, Mobutu chose to watch the historic upset via a closed-circuit feed from the safety of his palace.

 A lasting boxing revolution

Ali’s legendary “rope-a-dope” tactic safely wore down the heavily favored, hard-hitting Foreman before unleashing the decisive eighth-round flurry.

For Mayambula, watching his idol mirror his own jab and dance across the ring cemented a lifelong obsession.

“The fight completely revolutionized boxing in the DRC,” Mayambula asserts. “Every young man wanted to move like Ali, fight like Ali, and be like Ali.”

Fifty-two years later, that spark has not faded. As he watches a new generation of continental talent exchange blows at the Africa Elite Championships, the Secretary General knows the foundational blocks of his federation were laid on that sweat-drenched, unforgettable morning in 1974.

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▪️The new awards will celebrate media professionals who have helped bring boxing closer to audiences worldwide through compelling reporting, photography, broadcasting and social media content

October 30, 2026

IBA to recognise outstanding boxing media coverage with new awards at Global Boxing Forum

Journalists, photographers, media organisations and digital content creators will be honoured by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for their contribution to boxing coverage at the Global Boxing Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 4 December 2026.

The new awards will celebrate media professionals who have helped bring boxing closer to audiences worldwide through compelling reporting, photography, broadcasting and social media content.

They are set to reflect achievements throughout 2026, rather than focusing solely on coverage of the major IBA events scheduled for November and December.

The recognition is expected to span different areas of boxing media, from broadcasters, digital platforms and editorial teams to individual journalists, photographers and social media creators whose work has captured the drama and emotion of the sport and brought fans closer to the action.

The awards ceremony will take place during the Global Boxing Forum on 4 December, ahead of the IBA Ordinary Election Congress on 5 December.

Istanbul will host a series of major international boxing events in the weeks leading up to the Congress. The inaugural IBA President’s Cup will bring together boxers from across the globe, with competition taking place from 27 November to 4 December.

The tournament will conclude with its finals at Sinan Erdem Sports Arena, providing a fitting backdrop to the Global Boxing Forum and the celebration of those who bring the sport’s stories to fans everywhere.

Further details, including the award categories, evaluation criteria and the awards themselves, will be announced later in November 2026.

▪️The camp’s morale is sky-high, buoyed by elite-level hospitality. The Congolese national team is currently residing at the luxurious, five-star Pullman Hotel. This premium treatment is courtesy of the Congolese Boxing Federation, led by General Ilunga Luyoyo, who also serves as the Interim President of IBA Africa

October 30, 2026

KINSHASA – The Democratic Republic of Congo has sent a clear and thunderous message to the rest of the continent, matching Morocco’s historic record by securing a staggering 18 boxers in the 2026 Africa Elite Boxing Championships finals.

The feat positions the host nation on the precipice of continental glory, setting up a thrilling quest for redemption on home soil.

At the 2024 edition of the championships in Kinshasa, Morocco ruled the ring, placing 18 boxers in the finals and emerging as overall winners with a haul of 10 gold, eight silver, and three bronze medals. DR Congo pushed them to the absolute limit back then, securing 14 finalists and capturing nine gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals for an impressive total of 21 medals.

Now, the tide is turning. Having matched Morocco’s entry record, the Congolese “Leopards”—spearheaded by their talismanic captain Pita Kabeji—have set their sights on a loftier target: completely shattering Morocco’s benchmark by conquering more than 10 gold medals.

The camp’s morale is reportedly sky-high, buoyed by elite-level hospitality. The Congolese national is currently residing at the luxurious, five-star Pullman Hotel. This premium treatment is courtesy of the Congolese Boxing Federation, led by General Ilunga Luyoyo, who also serves as the Interim President of IBA Africa.

Armed with top-tier accommodation, home-ring advantage, and an army of passionate local fans, DR Congo is primed to rewrite African boxing history.

▪️Saturday, October 31, two African warriors are gearing up for the fight of their lives. It’s a breathtaking encounter spiced by IBA prize money

October 30, 2026

Barbs fly. Tension burns. The rematch is on as the biggest amateur featherweight fight in African boxing is on.

Welcome to the iconic Stade Des Martyrs in Kinshasa, Africa’s music capital where boxers are gearing up for the final dance in Africa’s most prestigious boxing tournament.

Tension is building up among the finalists. The adrenalin is running fast. To some boxers, regular visits to the comfort base are common to get rid of any drop available.

The men’s featherweight duel is one of the highlights in the two-day finals starting on Friday, October 30.

Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale, a soldier by profession, has fired the first salvo before stepping into the squared circle to battle Ghana’s southpaw Amadu Mohamed.

To Mwale, his defeat by Amadu at the Accra African Games in 2024 was in bad taste. That night, Amadu took bantamweight gold and Mwale the silver.

Both have moved up to featherweight but boxing remains the same.

Mwale refuses to accept the loss. He is fresh off a blistering win against DR Congo’s Modi Mbenza. The crowd roared in appreciation. Mwale put on a brilliant gutsy show.

“He did not beat me,” Mwale told boxersworld.co.ke “Home-ground advantage saved him. This time will be different. He will be intoxicated by my punches.”

Amadu smiles. The ice-cold southpaw is unbothered when I spoke to him at Stade Des Martyrs.

To him, Accra was no fluke. It was a clean victory. He plans a repeat.

“I stopped him in round two, I’ll do the same here,” Amadu counters.

Two elite warriors equally matched punch for punch. Both are world championships quarter-finalists. The talk is over. The canvas awaits in the livestreamed finals. If you’re in Kinshasa, don’t miss this one. See you there!

▪️Cameroon have seven, Congo Brazzaville six, Zambia, Cape Verde and Senegal four each

▪️Highlights on the first day: David Pina vs Kolongo Bakora and Rady Gramane vs Ivanusa Moreira

October 29, 2026

Hosts Democratic Republic of Congo have thrown down a massive statement of intent at the ongoing Africa Elite Boxing Championships, loading a spectacular 18 boxers into the finals at Kinshasa’s Stade des Martyrs.

With 10 women and eight men punching their way to the ultimate stage, the hosts have made their intentions fiercely clear. After agonizingly finishing as runners-up in both 2023 and 2024, DR Congo is single-mindedly targeting the overall continental crown on home soil.

The local crowd will get an immediate taste of the action on day one of the finals, where 12 of the home nation’s 18 finalists will step into the ring. Highlighting the opening session are eight formidable Congolese women, including two reigning champions looking to defend their thrones: minimumweight sensation Benedicte Diyoka faces Congo-Brazzaville’s Ndoudi Doudou, while light-welterweight Mbalayi Mbamba goes toe-to-toe with Senegal’s Maimouna Ka.

While the hosts dominate the final brackets, Cameroon sits a distant second with seven finalists. Neighboring Congo-Brazzaville has secured six final spots, followed by Zambia, Cape Verde, and Senegal with four each. Mozambique brings two fighters to the finals, while Botswana, Angola, Uganda, and Mauritius remain in the hunt with one finalist apiece.

The opening day’s undercard also promises blockbuster semifinal action. In a clash of titans, Cape Verde’s Olympic bronze medalist David Pina takes on DR Congo’s own Kolongo Bakora. Meanwhile, Cape Verdean Olympian Ivanusa Moreira faces a monumental test against Mozambique’s decorated two-time African champion, Rady Gramane.

▪️This eagerly awaited showdown is one of the highlights in the exciting IBA Africa Elite Championships finals

October 29, 2026

For the last two years, DR Congo’s reigning Africa flyweight champion, Nyembo Gisele, has traded fierce verbal jabs with Cameroon’s reserved and quiet Reine Laure Ngoune.

Nyembo is spoiling for a fight, claiming she was robbed of victory at the 2023 Africa Elite Championships finals in Yaounde. Ngoune has poured cold water on the allegation, insisting she beat the big-talking DR Congo boxer hands down.

Now, the grudge rematch is finally happening this Saturday, October 31, at the Stade Des Martyrs in the finals of the 2026 Africa Elite Boxing Championships.

This is a fierce personal grudge rematch.Two two rivals were the only fighters entered by their respective countries in the flyweight class.

The Grudge Rematch

Female Flyweight: Nyembo Gisele (DRC) vs. Reine Laure Ngoune (CMR)

There’s pure bad blood between the two boxers.

Gisele, a relentless slugger, has the home Kinshasa crowd behind her, but Ngoune is coming to silence the arena in a deeply personal clash where defense will be optional. Ngoune will rely on her ring IQ against the DR Congo punching machine.

Speed & Precision

Bantamweight: David Pina (Cape Verde) vs. Kolongo Bakora (DRC)

It’s a battle of lightning-fast counters vs. relentless volume.

Cape Verde’s Olympic star Pina brings world-class pedigree and ring craftsmanship but Bakora is fighting with the ferocious hunger of a hometown hero looking for a career-defining upset.

Technical chess match

Featherweight: Mwengo Mwale (Zambia) vs. Amadu Mohamed

(Ghana)

This is a classic Southern Africa vs. West Africa boxing rivalry.

Mwale’s non-stop aggression and slick footwork will go head-to-head against Mohamed’s trademark Ghanaian power and aggression using southpaw stance and ring acumen to his advantage.

Pure Fireworks

Light-welterweight: Njibu Njibu (DRC) vs. Admolson Kevin (Cape Verde)

A total phone-booth war.

Both fighters love to stand their ground and trade leather. Njibu’s raw power will test Kevin’s chin in a bout that is highly unlikely to need the judges’ scorecards.

Female Middleweight: Ivanusa Moreira (Cape Verde) vs. Rady Gramane (Mozambique)

This is a clash of titans.

Gramane is a decorated continental icon while Moreira brings elite tactical versatility and craftiness. This is a tactical bout to be executed with massive power behind every shot.

The Heavy Hitters

Light-heavyweight: Brandone Ngon A Ngon (CMR) vs. Odzoua Reche (CGO)

This will be a bruising, physical, and unforgiving war. A Central African derby where every single punch carries knockout intent. Ngon A Ngon wants to bully his opponent, but Reche’s counter-punching could turn the lights out early. He must however be ready to absorb Ngon’s energy-sapping body shots that could see him make several trips to the canvas.

Kabeji’s farewell

Heavyweight: Pita Kabeji (DRC) vs. Ebong Emmy Abel (Uganda)

The ultimate heavyweight collision. DRC’s star champion Kabeji looks to assert total dominance in front of his fans and make history by becoming the first ever boxer to win gold for times in a row in the African Championships, and then move to the paid ranks. Standing in his way is the dangerous, heavy-handed Abel, who needs just one lucky punch to ruin the party. Unless Kabeji pulls a muscle by bad luck, the Ugandan has his work cut out.

KINSHASA, DR Congo — Namibia’s 2024 African light-heavyweight silver medalist, Gebhard Ipinge, has laid the blame for his defeat squarely on his coaching corner, claiming their tactical advice led him straight into a losing battle against Cameroon’s hard-hitting Brandon Ngon A Ngon.

Exhibiting his trademark relaxed demeanor despite the setback, Ipinge spoke to boxersworld.co.ke at the Africa Elite Boxing Championships. He revealed that his trainers were fully aware of the Cameroonian Zone 3 champion’s devastating punching power, yet inexplicably instructed him to adopt a rigid, stationary approach in the ring.

“The coaches advised me not to move a lot, even though they knew he hits incredibly hard,” a frustrated Ipinge explained.

Instead of utilizing footwork to evade the incoming barrage, I pinge was told to box flat-footed—a strategy that effectively turned him into a sitting duck for Ngon, who is known for “throwing stones” with his heavy hands.

The tactical misstep proved costly against the relentless Cameroonian power-puncher, whose sophisticated body-punching repertoire has been tearing through the light-heavyweight division throughout the tournament. Prior to the bout, Iipinge had even been seen kneeling in prayer on the ring apron, asking for protection against the dangerous puncher—a testament to the known threat Ngon posed.

Despite the disappointment of having his championship dreams derailed by poor ringside instructions, the Namibian silver medalist remains resilient about his future in the sport.

“Each loss is a learning experience,” Impinge reflected, looking ahead to rebuilding and refining his approach on the drawing board.

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▪️Cameroon have six in finals, Congo and Senegal three each and Zambia two

▪️ Olympic hero David Pina vs DR Congo’s Kolongo Bakora in epic final as Pita Kabeji starts his campaign for fourth gold medal

▪️Zambia on top of their game, Rady, Moreira in action today, Catherine warns Chloe in their rematch while Ugandan “rebels” clinch two bronzes and are assured of two more medals

▪️Two Ghanaian boxers Amadu Mohamed and Joseph Commey poised for final

October 28, 2026

Host nation Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has stamped its authority on the ongoing 2026 IBA Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships, establishing a commanding lead with 10 boxers already through to the finals at the Stade des Martyrs Gymnasium in Kinshasa.

Tuesday’s opening round of semifinal action provided another spectacular demonstration of Congolese boxing strength. Eight home fighters entered the ring, and six emerged victorious, much to the delight of their passionate supporters.

Spearheaded by formidable middleweight David Tshama, the Congolese squad delivered an impressive display of skill, determination and fighting spirit. The six semifinal winners join four teammates who had already secured direct passage to the finals through the tournament draw.

🇨🇩 DR Congo: Ten finalists and still counting

One of Tuesday’s biggest sensations came from minimumweight Bofenda Mabala, who produced a remarkable upset by eliminating Cameroon’s defending champion, Wouang Marcial.

Mabala and Tshama were joined in the winners’ circle by female welterweight Bampala Kanyinda, light-heavyweight Malewe Tekasala, bantamweight Kolongo Bakora, and cruiserweight Mbangui Mukiewa.

However, the hosts did not emerge completely unscathed. Welterweight Ilunga Masuasua and super-heavyweight Eno Mukwasa suffered defeats, denying DR Congo a clean sweep.

The Congolese charge is far from over. Another 12 home boxers are scheduled to compete in Wednesday’s second semifinal session, led by team captain Pita Kabeji, who steps up to the heavyweight division with expectations riding high to win an unprecedented fourth gold medal in a row in the Africa Elite Championships.

🇨🇲 Cameroon keeps the pressure on with six finalists!

Cameroon remains DR Congo’s closest challenger, having already secured six places in the finals.

Of the five Cameroonian boxers who competed on Tuesday, three recorded victories while two bowed out.

Among those advancing was Zacharie Mvogo, the 2023 African super-heavyweight champion, whose commanding performance strengthened Cameroon’s medal ambitions.

Mvogo’s qualification adds to the three Cameroonian female boxers who had already secured final berths.

With another six Cameroonian fighters scheduled for Wednesday’s semifinals, the contest for continental supremacy remains wide open.

🇨🇬 Congo Brazzaville: Three finalists and more opportunities ahead

Across the Congo River, neighbouring Congo Brazzaville endured mixed fortunes, registering two victories against three defeats during Tuesday’s action.

The two successful semifinalists join minimumweight Ndoudi Doudou Doudou, who is preparing for a mouthwatering championship showdown against DR Congo’s defending champion, Benedicte Diyoka.

With three finalists already confirmed and five additional boxers scheduled to compete, Congo Brazzaville still has an opportunity to strengthen its position.

🇸🇳 Senegal’s Balde Oumar continues his sensational run

Senegal also experienced contrasting fortunes, recording one victory and two defeats in Tuesday’s semifinals.

However, the country’s brightest moment belonged to lightweight sensation Balde Oumar, whose impressive victory over Angola’s Matomona Jonilsory further cemented his reputation as one of the championship’s outstanding revelations.

Oumar’s qualification raises Senegal’s finalist tally to three, alongside light-heavyweight Diagne Aminata and heavyweight Cisse Khadidiatou, the accomplished bronze medallist from the 2024 African Championships.

🏆 The race for African boxing supremacy heats up

Following Tuesday’s opening semifinal session, the confirmed finalist standings among these four nations are:

🥇 🇨🇩 DR Congo — 10 finalists

🥈 🇨🇲 Cameroon — 6 finalists

🥉 🇨🇬 Congo Brazzaville — 3 finalists

🥉 🇸🇳 Senegal — 3 finalists

These figures could change dramatically after Wednesday’s remaining semifinal contests.

The BIG question: Can Cameroon close the gap against the high-riding DR Congo?

With the national pride at stake and Africa’s finest boxing talents battling for continental glory, Kinshasa is rapidly becoming the epicentre of African boxing excellence.

The writing is already on the wall: There’s no stopping DR Congo in their quest for glory.

Kudos to Zambia. With only four boxers remaining in the tournament following the controversial doctor stoppage defeat of Emmanuel Katema, two of the Zambian boxers Albert Ngulube and Gerald Kabinda punched their way to the finals, and are likely to be joined by female bantamweight Catherine Mwape and featherweight Mwengo Mwale.

A final showdown looms between Mwale and Ghana’s African Games champion Amadu Mohammed.

Amadu and light-welterweight Joseph Commey will be in the squared circle today with the former squaring out with Namibia’s Imene Elifas while Commey meets Cape Verde’s Admolson Kevin.

Hats off to the Ugandans. They’re returning home with four medals. They’ve clinched two bronzes following losses suffered by middleweight Nsanba Ronaldo and cruiserweight Ronnie Wandera. The remaining two are in action today with female lightweight Sarah Katongole battling DR Congo’s Munga Zulia.

In all, there will be 10 female bouts today. Cape Verde’s Olympian Ivanusa Moreira returns to the ring while two-time Africa champion Rady Gramane is also in the mix; so will be Botswana’s Trecier Thipe, making her debut for the national team.

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▪️Cape Verde place 6 in semis, Senegal 5, Zambia, Namibia and Uganda 4 each
▪️Plus today’s semifinal schedule and Monday’s quarterfinal results

October 26, 2026

Host nation DR Congo has sent a thunderous warning shot across the continent, landing a staggering 20 boxers—12 men and eight women—into the semifinals of the Africa Elite Boxing Championships at Kinshasa’s Stade des Martyrs.

The first semi-finals featuring
17 bouts take place today, October 26, from 2pm local time here in Kinshasa which is two hours behind East Africa’s time.

After twice tasting heartbreak as runners-up in 2023 and 2024, the hosts have made a ruthless statement of intent to capture their first-ever championship crown. They have left the competition scrambling in their wake.

Cameroon sits a distant second with 11 semifinalists, followed by Congo Brazzaville 10, Cape Verde 6, Senegal 5 including two female boxers in the finals, Namibia, Zambia and Uganda 4 each, Botswana and Angola 3 each, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique 2 each with the latter having two-time Africa champion Alcinda Dos Santos already in the finals.

DR Congo’s dominance doesn’t stop there. They have already locked in four female fighters straight into the finals. Three are fierce defending champions looking to retain their thrones: minimumweight Benedicte Diyoka, flyweight Nyembo Gisele, and light-welterweight Mbalayi Mbamba. Joining them is heavyweight Tshimwanga Sulamite, the reigning 2025 Africa Zone 3 champion.

The blockbuster action ignites today with eight DR Congo warriors stepping into the ring. Middleweight star David Tshama leads the charge in tough battle against Senegal’s Allasane BA.

Meanwhile, a fierce local rivalry takes center stage as light-heavyweight Malewu Tekasala clashes with Congo Brazzaville’s Nkova Ngoly. Whenever these neighboring nations meet across the river, the intensity hits boiling point—it’s a boxing ring battle fought with the passion of a border dispute.

For neutral fans, the day features two explosive, can’t-miss highlights. First, a bantamweight cracker pits Cape Verde’s Olympic bronze medalist David Pina against Namibia’s Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Philip Haoseb.

There’s Namibia’s Commonwealth Games silver medalist Tryagain Ndevelo going toe-to-toe with Zambia’s African Games bronze medalist Albert Ngulube in a true clash of titans.

▪️Exit Armando, Amadu advances, Mwengo moves on, Ndevelo vs Ebenezer in fight of the day, Cape Verde star Moreira in semis, Pina in the mix and DR Congo crowd favourite Tshama starts his title defence

October 26, 2026

KINSHASA, DR Congo — Spectacular action, accidental headclash, and close decisions lit up the ring at the ongoing Africa Elite Boxing Championships, where the continent’s finest warriors secured their spots in the semifinals.

Cameroon’s reigning Africa Zone 3 champion, Brandon Ngon A Ngon, stole the show with a superb display in modern prizefighting. Exhibiting a sophisticated and relentless repertoire of body punching, Ngon destroyed Senegal’s Allasane KA. The light-heavyweight encounter was brought to a crashing halt in the second round, sending a clear warning shot to the rest of the division.

Ngon now marches into a blockbuster semifinal showdown against Namibia’s 2024 silver medalist, Gebhard Ipinge, who earned his spot by outpointing Angola’s Tchitoma Joaquim.

On his way out of squared circle, Ipinge knelt in prayer on the apron of the ring asking the Almighty to protect him against the dangerous Cameroonian.

While Ngon provided the fireworks, the fight of the day ended in heartbreak. The featherweight between Ghana’s Amadu Mohammed and Mozambique’s Armando Sigauque—highly billed as the Fight of the Day—crumbled into an unfortunate anti-climax.

Just minutes into the first round, an accidental clash of heads opened a severe gash above Sigauque’s right eye, forcing an immediate stoppage. Amadu cruised into the semifinals via the injury, where Namibia’s stubborn and durable Imene Elifas awaits him.

Hovering over the featherweight division is Zambia’s world championship quarterfinalist, Mwengo Mwale who looked absolutely terrifying, needing less than one round to stop Malawi’s Ledson Patson.

Immediately after the referee waved off the bout, Mwale fired a psychological missile across the bracket, warning Ghana’s Amadu to prepare for the fight of his life should they meet in the final, claiming Amadu lucky in their last meeting in Accra. First, however, Mwale must get past local favorite Modi Mbonza of the DR Congo in a hostile semifinal environment.

The light-welterweight division treated fans to a pure tactical war. Ghana’s reigning African Games champion, Joseph Commey, was pushed to his absolute limits by a spirited Loulendo Merci of Congo. Commey was forced to dig deep, ultimately squeezing out a grueling 5-2 victory on bout review points. The Ghanaian technician now advances to meet Cape Verde’s dangerous Admolson Kevin in the semis, while the other side of the bracket features an absolute collision course between DR Congo’s Njibu Njibu Beni and Angola’s Fernando Ntima.

In the minimumweight division, Botswana’s Zone 4 king Kobamelo Molatlhego put on a boxing clinic. Molatlhego hammered Congo’s Ngassaki Ngosaba in a shutout 5-0 dominant decision. His reward is a semifinal date with Zimbabwe’s Blessing Sibanda.

Meanwhile, Cameroon’s reigning African minimumweight champion Wouang Marcial clashes with DR Congo’s Bofenda Mabala in the semis.

And Zambia’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Catherine Mwape has warned Mauritian Chloe Gabriel to expect thorough beating in their big rematch following Chloe’s demolition of helpless Burundi’s Liliane Nshimirimana in the quarters. Cape Verde’s most successful female boxer Ivanusa Moreira marched on to the semis hammering Congo’s Nkokolo Lembe and now meets DR Congo’s Mvamba Benedicte.

The drama is only getting started in Kinshasa. A galaxy of African boxing royalty takes center stage next in today’s quarterfinal bouts. Fans will witness Olympic bronze medalist David Pina, double African champion David Tshama, Namibia’s lethal Tryagain Ndevelo battling Ghana’s Ankrah Ebenezer, Zambia’s Albert Ngulube, and Botswana’s elite duo of Treasure Moremi and Pooana Khoahli all put their championship dreams on the line.