AFBC STILL WOBBLING AS LUYOYO, BERHANU POWER STRUGGLE INTENSIFIES

AFBC STILL WOBBLING AS LUYOYO, BERHANU POWER STRUGGLE INTENSIFIES

A furious exchange of fire has once again erupted between the warring factions in the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) with each group digging deeper in the trenches claiming leadership of the wobbling African boxing body.

The latest explosive exchange has been ignited by the January 24 professional boxing card to be staged in Tunisia organised by the group aligned to Congolese Boxing Federation President General Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo who insists he is the legitimate leader of AFBC.

But in a swift counter attack, the constitutionally-elected AFBC President Eyassu Berhanu has now taken the battle to Tunisia. An incensed Berhanu is firing on all cylinders.

In a letter to Tunisia’s Minister of Sport, Berhanu decsribed as illegal the Tunisia 10-bout card titled “Solidarity and Fraternity Boxing Gala” to be held at the Sidi Boussaid Gymnasium in the capital city, Tunis on January 24.

“I want to make it unequivocally clear the AFBC does not recognise or support any activities organised by General Luyoyo and his team as they operate outside the legal framework of our organisation,” said Berhanu in the letter to the Minister of Sport.

He went on: “We kindly request the Ministry of Sport to take immediate action to prevent any illegal boxing activities organised by General Luyoyo and his unauthorized team. The AFBC remains steadfast in maintaining the integrity of boxing in Africa and we appreciate your cooperation to ensure that only lawful and recognized activities are conducted in the name of sport.”

Berhanu has maintained he remains the President of the troubled African boxing body. The Secretary-General of the Luyoyo-led group, Andre Basile Kalong has dismissed Berhanu’s reaction as “kicks of a dying horse” and that his letter to the Tunisian government will be treated with the contempt it deserves.

“We’re surprised he has the audacity to write to the Tunisian government yet he is incapable of organizing any competition, he doesn’t have the power to write any letter because he’s no longer in charge of the African body,” said Andre, adding: “Eyassu came to power bragging he’s a billionaire but we’ve realised he has nothing, he has just been piggyback riding on tournaments funded by the IBA, even the head quarters in Addis Ababa is funded by the IBA, he is just a desperate opportunist.”

While the IBA has said Berhanu is the constitutionally-elected AFBC President, Basile differs.

Said Basile: “We have one AFBC which is headed by General Luyoyo. He received the mandate from the majority of African National Federations in Kinshasa and confirmed during the AFBC Extraordinary Congress in Dubai on 6 December 2024.

“General Luyoyo therefore remains AFBC Interim President and an experienced professional boxing promoter, he is the key organizer of the Tunisia card in collaboration with the host Tunisia Boxing Federation.”

It remains to be seen for how long this power struggle in AFBC will continue with the International Boxing Association (IBA) still mum in the wake of this bitter acrimony.

In the Tunisia card, three DR Congo Africa champions, female flyweight Nyembo Gisele, middleweight David Tshama and cruiserweight Pita Kabeji will feature in the Tunisia boxing show with Kabeji meeting Tunisia’s Riahi Mohammed Amine in a six-round cruiserweight main fight.

“All the fights will be six rounds of three minutes each for men and five rounds of two minutes for women,” said Basile.

The full Tunisia card is as follows:

48 kg Women :

Wafa Hafsi (Tunisia) vs Andriamiarisoa Miora Tina Karene (Madagascar)

52 kg Women :

Amel Chebbi (Tunisia) vs Nyembo Gisele (DRC)

57 kg Women :

Amal Mathloufi (Tunisia) vs Betist Josefien Angel (Sierra Leone)

60 kg Men:

Ngollo Ngassay Cheril Etienne (Congo) vs Mohamed Ben Mansour (Tunisia)

63.5 kg Men :

King Lucas Mwajobaga (Tanzania) vs Liduema Elder (Angola)

71 kg Men :

Clair Merven (Mauritius ) vs De Souza Kokou Vinyo (Togo)

71 kg Men :

Asim Dawku (Libya) vs Tshama David (DRC)

75 kg Men:

Ojok Alfred (Uganda) vs Hamza Ghazouani (Tunisia)

80 kg Men:

Youssef Rafrafi (Tunisia) vs Ngon a Ngon Brandone (Cameroon)

86 kg Men:

Pita Kabeji (DRC) vs Riahi Mohamed Amine (Tunisia)