▪️The eight African boxers qualified for the round of 16 in Day Two of the ongoing $8.32 million IBA World Boxing Championships at the Dubai Tennis Stadium
▪️The total number of African boxers eliminated rose to 39 with 20 more bundled out on Friday after 19 lost on Day One. A total of 20 have so far won their fights
06/12/2025
Eight African boxers punched their way to the round of 16 as 20 more lost their fights to increase the total number of casualties to 39 as the IBA World Boxing Championships entered Day Two at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on Friday, December 5, 2025.
The eight African boxers in the pre-quarters are Botswana’s minimumweight Kobamelo Molatlhegi, two Tunisians, welterweight Zachariah Ramadhani and light-heavyweight Youssef Rafrati, two Ugandans welterweight Bob Turyatemba and super-heavyweight Mark Ziikama, Kenya’s light-heavyweight Robert Okaka and Cameroon’s Zacharie Mvogo.
They are now just a stone’s throw away from entering the money bracket as quarter-finalists will earn $10,000 in the richest ever tournament since 2021 when the IBA introduced prize money to empower boxers instead of just presenting them with the traditional medals which can’t put food on their tables.
Kobamelo outpointed Papua New Guinea’s David Ome 5-0, Zakaria Romdhani stopped Cambodia’s Sophors Vy in the second round, Bob Teryatekba beat Seychelles’ Andrique Allisop 5-0, Robert Okaka defeated Estonia’s Anton Vinogrado 4-1, Youssef Rafrafi beat Latvia’s Aleksandrs Malinovkis 5-0, Adriano Kiana outpointed IBN-India’s Harpal Singh 5-0, Mark Ziikama got a walkover against Libya’s Adim Adele and Zacharie Mvogo got a walkover against Zimbabwe’s Anesu Motsi.
In all, Africa won nine bouts in Day Two and lost 20 to increase the total losses to 39 after the defeat of 19 boxers in Day One.
The other African winner was Cape Verde’s featherweight Elisandro Silva Sanches who beat Joseph Kesny of Sint Maarten to qualify for the round of 32. Sint Maarten is a Dutch constituent country in the Caribbean.
With five boxers in action, Kenya had high hopes of more winners following bantamweight Shaffi Bakari’s first ever victory in the the World Championships in Day One but it’s only Robert Okaka aka Man Man Ngori who won his light-heavyweight fight 4-1 against Estonia’s Anton Vinogrado to emerge as one of the most impressive African winners. The other four boxers lost their fights, minimumweight Silus Onyango, welterweight Wiseman Kavondo, cruiserweight Chrispin Ochanda and super-heavyweight Clinton Macharia whose 5-0 defeat to Smiahlikau Uladzislau of Belarus did not go down well with head coach Musa Benjamin who also felt his boxers should have done better in an interview with boxersworld.co.ke.
“Most of today’s fights were winnable except for Wiseman’s bout,” said Musa and went on: “We are very unhappy with Clinton who won the first round only to become complacent in the 2nd and final round.Ochanda was too cautious and Silas was unable to cut the ring well to effectively beat his opponent.”
On the strategy he used for Okaka to carry the day, Musa said he decided Okaka to switch into a pressure fighter to mess up the game of his Estonian opponent.
“Okaka had to be necessarily aggressive, stepping forward throwing lots of punches eventually subduing his clever and smart opponent. Still a lot of rough edges but with good attitude.”
Full results of the African boxers in Day Two of the World Boxing Championships in Dubai.
Minimumweight
Botswana’s Kobamelo Molatlhegi outpointed Papua New Guinea’s David Ome 5-0
Ethiopia’s Abel Alemu lost 5-0 to Nepal’s Prasad Upreti
Tanzania’s Ally Salim Ngwando lost 5-0 to IBN-India’s Davendra Singh
Zambia’s Nene Maonga lost 5-0 to Kyrgyzstan’s Anvarzhan Khodzhiev
Kenya’s Silus Onyango lost 5-0 to Sri Lanka’s Danil Hasika
Welterweight
Eswatini’s Khayelihle Mkhabela lost 5-0 to Brazil’s Casio Olivera
Zambia’s Gerald Kabinda lost 4-1 to Kazakhstan’s Sanatali Toltayev
Tunisia’s Zakaria Romdhani stopped Cambodia’s Sophors Sy in the second round
Uganda’s Bob Turyatemba outpointed Andrique Allisop of the Seychelles
South Africa’s Simankele Damesi lost 5-0 to Mongolia’s Jandos Askhar
Gambia’s Sheikh Sarr was stopped in round one by Azerbaijan’s Zaur Gahramanov
Mozambican Delphina Marime lost 4-3 to Almaz Orozbekov of Kyrgyzstan
Kenya’s Wiseman Kavondo was stopped in round two by Armenia’s Hovhannes Bachkov
Super-heavyweight
Kenya’s Clinton Macharia was beaten 5-0 by Smiahlikau of Uladzislau of Belarus
Uganda’s Mark Ziikama got a walkover against Libya’s Adim Adel
Cameroon’s Zacharie Mvogo got a walkover against Zimbabwe’s Anesu Motsi
Angola’s Jordilson Luvo was stopped in the second round by Yannick Putoa of French Polynesia
Light-heavyweight
Burkina Faso’s Tene Gueswende Ebener was stopped in the first round by Kazakhstan’s Yerassy Zhakekov
Kenya’s Robert Okaka outpointed 4-1 Anton Vinogrado of IBN-Estonia
Tunisia’s Youssef Rafrafi beat Latvia’s Aleksandrs Malinovskis 5-0
Cameroon’s Brandone Ngon a Ngon lost 4-1 to Armenia’s Artush Hovhannisyan
Ben Ali Otana of Cote d’Ivoire lost to John Didier of Saint Lucia
Uganda’s Abubakar Malindi was stopped in round two by Spain’s Jalidov Gaturova
Cruiserweight
Cape Verde’s Israel Nzewi was stopped in the second round by Spain’s Fresneda Ricardo
Niger’s Abdoul Kader Issaka lost 5-0 to Tajikistan’s Karimoz Parviz
Kenya’s Chrispin Ochanda lost 5-0 to Moldova’s Andrei Chiriaco
Angola’s Adriano Kiana beat 5-0 IBN-India’s Harpal Singh
Featherweight
Cape Verde’s Elisandro Silva Sanches beat Joseph Kesny of Sint Maarten
Picture design by Duncan Kuria
