▪️A total of 28 African boxers will trade leather in Day One of the eagerly awaited showdown
▪️Man Ngori lies in wait for the winner of highly charged light-heavyweight duel between Changalawe and Akintola
▪️Zambians Emmanuel Katema and Mwengo Mwale export their Dubai weapons to Glasgow
▪️ Namibia’s Africa featherweight champion Tryagain Ndevelo is also in the mix against Trinidad & Tobago’s Anthony Joseph
July 24, 2026
The opening bell has sounded in Glasgow, and Africa’s finest boxers are stepping into the squared circle with championship dreams on their minds.
Kenya’s Amina Martha Faki carries the monumental honor of being the first African boxer to step into the ring today leading the charge with 28 African boxers in action.
The African Games bantamweight bronze medallist faces a towering inference in England’s Lauren Mackie, a decorated World Boxing Cup bronze medallist.
Amina is a natural pressure fighter known for devastating punching power that can end any fight in a single blink.
To secure the win, Amina must adapt her relentless forward march and vary her angles to outmanoeuvre the technically sharp English boxer.
The ring action continues with some thrilling matchups featuring some of Africa’s most prominent power punchers.
Namibia’s Africa champion Tryagain Ndevelo, making his third appearance in the Commonwealth Games, is up against Trinidad $ Tobago’s Anthony Joseph at lightweight.
“This is now my time to take home a gold medal,” Ndevelo told boxersworld.co.ke in an interview.
Zambia’s welterweight Emmanuel Katema takes on Sri Lankan Chamil Pathmasiri. The Zambian world bronze medallist will use his elite tournament experience to dismantle the crafty Sri Lankan.
Mwengo Mwale (Zambia) vs. Faki Issa Faki (Tanzania)
In an all-African showdown, Zambia’s world quarter-finalist Mwale collides with Tanzania’s battle-tested Zone 3 bronze medallist Faki Issa Faki who was the country’s standout performer at the 2025 IBA Men’s World Championships in Dubai.
Yusuf Changalawe (Tanzania) vs. David Akintola (Nigeria)
The highlight is in the light-heavyweight division. Changalawe, a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, welcomes Nigeria’s explosive newcomer Akintola to the big stage in a bout promised to deliver fireworks.
The stakes are exceptionally high for the light-heavyweight contenders. The victor of the Changalawe and Akintola war will earn a ticket to the Round of 16, where Kenya’s fierce world quarter-finalist Robert Okaka—affectionately known in the boxing world as “Man Ngori”—lies in wait to ounce on the winner like a hungry lion.
Here are the 28 African boxers in action on Day One at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
Round of 32 women’s bantamweight
Kenya’s Amina Martha Faki vs England’s Lauren Mackie
Round of 32 men’s bantamweight
Lesotho’s Mathealira Seholoholo vs Louis Rooney of Northern Ireland
Round of 32 men’s welterweight
Lesotho’s Pooana Khoahli vs Niue’s Pao De Nero
Mauritius’ Ziggy Agathe vs South Africa’s Simamkele Damesi
Seychelles’ Jovanie Bouzin
vs Pakistan’s Afzal Khan
Round of 32 men’s light-middleweight
Lesotho’s Refioe Thai vs Nigeria’s Hassan Ayomide
Round of 16 women’s lightweight
Lesotho’s Realoboha vs Pakistan’s Fatima Zahra
Round of 32 men’s bantamweight
Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale vs Tanzania’s Faki Issa Faki
Mauritius’ Fabrice Valerie vs Nauru’s Marvin Marvelous Canon
Namibia’s Philip Haoseb vs Swaziland’s Siboniso Vilakati
Round of 32 men’s welterweight
Nigeria’s Abdulwahab Abdulramon vs Uganda’s Nuhu Batte
Ghana’s Abdul Wahib Omar vs England’s Patris Mughalzai
Zambia’s Emmanuel Katema vs Sri Lanka’s Chamil Pathmasiri
Malawi’s Elias Bonzo vs Antigua & Barbuda’s Alston Ryan
Round of 32 men’s lightweight
Botswana’s Treasure Moremi vs Niue’s Phoenix Gataua
Round of 32 men’s light-heavyweight
Malawi’s Happy Ngwira vs Antigua and Barbuda’s Zalaan Jan
Seychelles’ Jade Micock vs Solomon Islands’ Lio Dicks
Round of 32 men’s lightweight
Uganda’s Ibrahim Kemis vs Zambia’s Albert Ngulube
Namibia’s Tryagain Ndevelo vs Trinidad & Tobago’s Anthony Joseph
Round of 32 men’s light-heavyweight
Uganda’s Alfred Ojok vs Niue’s Kalani Anitelea-Launiu
Nigeria’s David Akintola vs Tanzania’s Yusuf Changalawe
