▪️Quarter-finals start today with 15 African boxers in action. Nine more qualifed after July 27 Last 16 bouts to increase the total to 32
▪️Eyebrows raised on Mogunde’s suspicious defeat to Scotland’s Sonny Kerr. “Even fans booed the decision,” says the Kenyan boxer
▪️Mauritius strongman Merven Clair meets Ghana’s Precious Netty in quarters
▪️Treasure Moremi beats Toka Litabe in another Southern African derby
▪️Unlucky Lethabo Modukanele is out as Catherene Mwape battles Marie Marine Gabriel
July 28, 2026
Kenya’s Robert Okaka, universally known as “Man Ngori,” stole the show with a classic performance in the highly touted East African showdown on Day Four of the Commonwealth Games boxing event in Glasgow on July 27, 2026.
And nine more African boxers qualified for the quarter-finals to increase the number to 32. The quarter-finals start today, July 28, with 15 African boxers in action among them Kenya’s Rosemarion Otieno, Uganda’s Emily Nakalema and Nuhu Batte, Patricia Mbata out to salvage Nigeria’s pride, Zambians Catherene Mwape, Mwengo Mwale and Emmanuel Katema who meets neighbour Malawi’s Elias Bonzo in quarters.
Calm and composed, Okaka put up a textbook display, taking to class Tanzania’s 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yusuf Changalawe to claim East Africas light-heavyweight bragging rights.
The Kenyan boxer outwitted Changalawe to secure a statement victory for Kenya and a place in the quarter-finals for a date with England’s Dimeji Shittu who eliminated Uganda’s Alfred Ojok via a unanimous decision.
“I thank God for my victory and head coach Musa Benjamin for guiding me, I remained relaxed hitting the body and then upper part,” Okaka told boxersworld.co.ke
Okaka, a member of Kenya Defence Forces Boxing Club, has been showered with praise by his colleagues and seniors at his place of work among them Brigadier-General Paul Mungori.
“Okaka has a mindset of greatness, the boy is so disciplined and focused he’s our pride. We wish him the best of luck in the quarter-finals, he has made us in KDF and the country proud,” says Mungori.
The President of Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT), Lukelo Willilo, has congratulated Okaka for his deserved victory.
“We can’t blame our boxer Yusuf, he lost fairly to Okaka. He could not execute his game plan because of his injured right hand,” says Willilo.
An elated Kenya’s head coach Musa Benjamin was over the moon on Okaka’s educated display.
What was their strategy? I ask Musa.
“The plan was for Okaka to be composed and disciplined, box intelligently using his jab effectively to destabilise Yusuf before putting in sporadic combinations with precision,” says the Kenyan tactician.
“With this, coupled with quick hands, he was able to control the pace and get the win.
“For Mogunde’s case, I’m really saddened by the officiating exhibited much as I don’t like talking about it. We had planned to take the fight to the Scot and rattle him in the 1st round, and then make him start chasing in the 2nd round opening him for counters. Bonny won the 1st but in the 2nd the ref warns him (point deducted) for allegedly punching behind the head, making him lose that round! In the last round, Bonny wore him down with relentless pressure in an explosive performance that left no doubt about the winner but the officials decided to give it to the home boy on split points. The decision was booed.”
Mogunde was equally surprised Scotland’s Sonny Kerr won the fight 3-0. Three judges scored 29-27 in favour of Kerr.
“I’m so disappointed for being robbed of victory, boxing can be so cruel at times,” says Mogunde, adding: “I was docked a point but not the same for my opponent on fouls he committed, I hit him with a staggering punch he’s not given a count. It’s so painful, fans booed and several coaches told me I’ve been denied my rightful victory.”
An insider who spoke to boxersworld.co.ke on condition of anonymity says it could have gone either way.
“Sonny Kerr is the son of Kevin Kerr, one of the board of directors in Scotland’s boxing,” he told me.
“The bout was important for Scotland, it was very close could have also gone to the Kenyan.”
Day Four also featured a Southern African lightweight derby between Zambia’s African Games bronze medallist Albert Ngulube and Eswatini’s Mukelo Dlamini. The Zambian proved too classy for Dlamini, outmanoeuvring him to secure a decisive points win.
“He was smarter, I wasn’t myself and I couldn’t do any combination. He played exactly as I expected but I couldn’t used my hands at all…I salute to him,” says Dlamini.
On his part, Ngulube says:”It was an easy fight, I’m glad I won I’m now focused on my quarterfinal game.”
Ngulube will battle it out with the 2022 Commonwealth Games featherweight gold medalist Jude Gallagher of Northern Ireland in the quarter-finals.
Namibia’s Africa featherweight champion Tryagain Ndevelo also cruised to the quarters outpointing Ruhin Reza of Bangladesh. He meets Niall Adams of Guernsey, a small island and British Crown Dependency located in the English Channel near the coast of France.
Ndevelo hinted he might win his quarter-final bout on a walkover because his opponent suffered an injury in his fight against Ravindu Jayantha of Sri Lanka.
“I’m certain that he got a head injury. There is a 50/50 chance the doctor will not allow him to pass at the weigh-in and medical checkup, he got some stitches,” says Ndevelo and warned his opponent to avoid risking his health.
“If he passes, I will use that to my advantage. He is short and aggressive, so I know the style to handle him. It won’t be a walk in the park, but it has to go down Wednesday night.”
Commenting on his victory, Ndevelo says: “I’m glad to finally get through some blows, not a win by default but a deserving one.
“I’m focused and looking up to the next one.
It won’t be easy but it’s possible. Every man for himself and God for us all.”
It was a night of contrasting fortunes for the region as Uganda’s light-heavyweight Alfred Ojok saw his tournament dreams shattered, crashing out of competition by a unanimous defeat to England’s Dimeji Shittu.
The day saw an intense schedule with 21 African boxers entering the ring. Nine boxers tasted victory and advanced but 12 boxers were sent packing.
Despite the heavy losses, the nine victories successfully pushed an impressive total of 32 African boxers into the quarterfinal stages.
In some of the highlights on July 27, Botswana’s 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Lethabo Modukanele lost 5-0 to India’s Sakshi Sakshi, Mauritius’ longest-serving international Merven Clair outpointed Pason Taafaki of Tuvalo for a quarter-final date with Ghana’s Precicious Nettey who saw off Fiji’s Elijah Qiokata with Ghana’s light-heavyweight Desmond Pappoe squeezing a razor-thin 3-2 win over Tonga’s Josh Tonga for a quarter-final clash against Canada’s Joshua Ofori.
Catherine Mwape is Zambia’s lone female boxer in Glasgow. Unfazed by the pressure of carrying her nation’s female boxing hopes alone, Mwape made her intentions crystal clear She spoke passionately about her primary goal in the sport, making no secret of her absolute determination to punch her way into the medal bracket and secure a podium finish. She battles Mauritius’ Marie Marine in the quarters today following her points victory over Pakistan’s Malaika Zahid in pre-quarters.
In an interview with boxersworld.co.ke, I first asked Catherine what else she does besides boxing.
“l don’t work yet I just do boxing which I started in 2013, my first club was Raising Hope and my first coach was Peter kaliba,” says Catherine.
“My influencer was my big bro Teddy Mwape who was one of my best boxers. l started representing my nation in 2022 in Lilongwe Games Region 5.
“I’m confident of a podium finish. I trust myself and above all I use my foot work well, it really helps me to stay out of danger and control the ring, and defense.
“My big goal in Glasgow is to win gold and benefit from it. I also want to inspire a lot of people including young girls in Zambia not to waste their talents and should not limit themselves.”
Today’s quarter-finals featuring 15 boxers from Africa:
First session women’s bantamweight
Kenya’s Rosemarion Otieno vs Canada’s Marie Bathoul
Men’s bantamweight
Ghana’s Amadu Mohammed vs England’s Ellis Trowbridge
Men’s welterweight
Lesotho’s Pooana Khoahli vs Ziggy Agathe of Mauritius
Men’s heavyweight
Ghana’s Jibril Muntari vs Northern Ireland’s Garyn McAllister
Second session women’s bantamweight
Zambia’s Catherine Mwape vs Mauritius’ Marie Marine Gabriel
Women’s lightweight
Sierra Leone’s Josefien Betist vs England’s Sacha Hickey
Women’s welterweight
Uganda’s Emily Nakalema vs Australia’s Eve Bryson
Women’s middleweight
Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata vs England’s Kate Smith
Men’s bantamweight
Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale vs India’s Jadumani Mandengbam Singh
Namibia’s Philip Pumulo Haoseb vs New Zealand’s Alex Mukuka
Men’s welterweight
Uganda’s Nuhu Batte vs England’s Patris Mughalzai
Zambia’s Emmanuel Katema vs Malawi’s Elias Bonzo
