KENYA’S KAVONDO SHOCKS TOP CAMEROON BOXER AS SKILLFUL UGANDANS MAKE BIG STATEMENT
▪️A total overhaul in Kenya’s team is not an option following the heavy loss on opening day of Africa Zone 3 Championships
▪️Rwanda boxers put up an impressive show despite making their debut in the elite tournament while Cameroon’s coach Alain Didier Ngatcha says he’s satisfied with the results
Newcomer Wiseman Kavondo was the silver lining for the hosts as Kenya suffered a heavy loss with skillful Ugandan boxers stealing the show on the opening day of the African Zone 3 Championships at the Kasarani Gym on Monday, October 20, 2025.
Showing scant respect for Cameroon’s highly regarded Oumarou Mouhamed, Kavondo gritted his teeth to score an upset 3-2 victory over Mouhamed. The southpaw Kavondo matched the Cameroon boxer punch for punch.
Soon after the first bell, he uncorked a powerful one-two punch that shook Oumarou for an eight count. The Cameroon boxer received another eight count in the third round as Kavondo stepped up pressure.
“I feel so happy for the victory it has given me more confidence to do better in my next fight,” a jovial Kavondo told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
The Kenyan boxer now takes on DR Congo’s Ntumba Kabengela in the semi-finals today.
“Truly the fight was close but the Kenyan won because he is at home,” said Cameroon’s head coach Alain Didier Ngatcha on Kavondo’s win.
“I’m satisfied with our performance. We won two fights and lost one.”
Ngatcha’s main hope for gold, Africa minimumweight champion Wouang Martial dominated Uganda’s Kato Ahmed Kazibwe on his way to a deserved victory.
Kavondo’s inspiring victory was the silver lining in the heavy loss the Kenyans suffered with 11 of the 20 boxers in action losing their fights including top international boxers Shaffi Bakari, Ethan Maina and Joseph Shigali.
Other casualties are flyweight Emmanuel Chondo who went down fighting, lightweight Washington Wandera, George Cosby, Diouf Muimi, Kelvin Maina, John Ogutu Aloice Vincent, Sheila Auma and Sylvia Obwamu.
In addition to Kavondo, the other Kenyan winners were Silus Onyango and Abednego Kyalo both in the minimumweight, African Games middleweight champion Edwin Okong’o, light-welterweight Cynthia Mwai, featherweight Mwinyi Kombo, light-welterweight, Caleb Wandera and Peter Abuti.
With this luckluster showing by the Kenyans, a total overhaul with an injection of new blood is inevitable for the future success of the team. Their boxing lacked firepower and hunger to win.
Big up to the Ugandans for their skillful performance displaying purposeful boxing punctuated by accurate punching and brilliant body shots before moving upstairs.
They used their feet well to control the distance outmanouvre opponents into disadvantageous positions to create angles for attack as witnessed in Kasim Murungi’s featherweight duel against DR Congo’s Badibanga Badianyama.
Tanzanian boxers had a fair share of success on the opening day. Out of eight boxers, four won their fights.
The Rwandan boxers returned to big-time boxing with a bang showing no ring rust despite being out of elite competition for seven years.
They showed resilience, perseverance, confidence and courage to take on any opponent under the sun.
Bantamweight Iranezeza Aime was the most impressive, outboxing experienced Kenya’s defending Zone 3 champion Shaffi Bakari enroute to a 3-1 points victory.
