▪️Nine boxers sent packing, bringing to 25 the total number of African pugilists eliminated in the Youth Olympics
▪️Sub-Saharan wipeout leaves North African trio, Algerians Bothaina Bensalah and Cerine Kessal alongside Egypt’s Menatallah Ibrahim as the only ones remaining in the boxing competition
November 11, 2026
Africa’s bruising campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games suffered another heavy blow on Tuesday, November 10, as nine more fighters crashed out during the second session of the quarter-finals, reports boxersworld.co.ke.
Out of 11 African boxers who stepped into the ring, only two survived the bloodbath. The latest wave of defeats pushes the continent’s elimination tally to a staggering 25 boxers, leaving just three fighters standing ahead of today’s semi-finals.
Egypt’s lightweight Menatalla Ibrahim delivered the knockout punch of the day, stopping China’s Jiaen Wang at 1:13 of the second round.
Algeria’s minimumweight Bothaina Bensalah served up a cold dish of revenge, outpointing Nigeria’s Mayowa Ayomide 5-0. The dominant unanimous decision avenged Bensalah’s painful loss to Ayomide in the 2025 African Youth Games final in Luanda, Angola.
Bensalah and Ibrahim now join flyweight Cerine Kessal (Algeria) to form a strictly North African trio carrying the entire continent’s medal hopes into Wednesday’s semi-finals, after boxers from Sub-Saharan Africa were completely wiped out of the tournament.
Today’s Semi-Final Showdown (November 11):
• Minimumweight: Bothaina Bensalah (Algeria) vs. Michela Guglielmon (Italy)
• Lightweight: Menatalla Ibrahim (Egypt) vs. Rushabonu Idea (Uzbekistan)
• Flyweight: Cerine Kessal (Algeria) vs. Grenyelis Garcia (Venezuela)
boxersworld.co.ke
