His dad Shaffi Bakari and mum Saida Salama are all looking ahead to this proud moment in their family
Kenya’s Lukeman Shaffi aka Jibaba is oozing confidence ahead of today’s (August 1) minimumweight final against Algeria’s Hesnaoui Mouhamed Amine in the African School Games in Annaba, Algeria.
Lukeman is among Africa’s Emerging Stars in action in the 10-bout card dominated by North African boxers.
Lukeman and Amine made it straight to the final without throwing a punch since the 46kg weight class has only two boxers.
“I want to win nothing but gold for Kenya,” Lukeman told boxersworld.co.ke
“If he’s underrating me he’s doing so at his own risk because I’m not scared of him even if he’s fighting at home. The ugali my mum has been cooking for me in Mombasa has made stronger .”
Lukeman’s dad Shaffi Bakari, one of Kenya’s top internationals, is calm and composed hoping his son wins gold.
“We’re all praying for him he’s capable of winning because he believes in himself,” says Shaffi, featherweight bronze medallist in the 2024 Africa Championships.
Lukeman’s mum, Saida Salama, is so excited his son is featuring in the finals in his first big competion.
“I’ve been so happy since my son travelled to Algeria to represent Kenya in the African School Games,” says Saida from her home in Mombasa.
“Wherever I am, I pray for him nobody is happier than me it’s a dream come true to our family. In my imagination already I’m seeing him in the ring punishing the Algerian boxer go! go! Lukeman attack don’t wait be fast my son hit him at all targets, InshaAllah he’ll win.”
The 13-year-old Lukeman, a grade six pupil at New Wisdom Preparatory School in Mombasa, is so far unbeaten in 10 fights.
North African boxers have dominated the boxing tournament in Annaba. In today’s men’s final, Algeria leads with eight boxers, Tunisia five and Egypt four.
Kenya and Ghana are the only two Sub-Saharan African countries in the finals with Ghana having two boxers.
The first Ghanaian in the ring is Laryea William who meets Algeria’s Boubliaa Yacine in the flyweight division while lightweight Abdul Rahman battles Tunisia’s Bouslimi Adam at lightweight.
The African School Games boxing tournament attracted 63 boxers from 13 countries.
Algeria entered 14 boxers, Tunisia 13, Egypt 11 followed by DR Congo six.
Ghana was represented by four boxers and Kenya two but it’s only Lukeman taking part after light-welterweight Sonia Atieno failed to get an opponent.
Korean tycoon Ansano Lee was so impressed by the_ _potential of Duncan Kuria that he decided to give him a boxing scholarship with Suleiman Bilali to study in Seoul
The rest of the bouts will be a North African affair. Algeria leads with six boxers followed by Tunisia four and Egypt one.
In Friday’s (August 1) boys finals, Ghana and Kenya are the only Sub-Saharan African countries represented.
Algeria is ahead with eight finalists, Tunisia five, Egypt four, Ghana two and Kenya one.
While they’ve been complaints of biased officiating favouring Algerian boxers, not all of them were favoured.
The Algerians have proved themselves in the ring even at the elite stage.
Their late boxer Hocine Soltani and the
The Moroccans have twice won the African Championships with heavyweight Khadija Mardi and bantamweight Widad Bertal clinching world titles.
controversial Imane Khelif remain Africa’s latest Olympic gold medallists with Soltani winning gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Imane in 2024 in Paris though debatable after failing the gender eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Morocco have shown their muscle winning the African Championships twice in a row in 2023/2024 and their female boxers twice winning world titles through heavyweight Khadija Mardi and bantamweight Widad Bertal.
The upshot of this fine show is as a result of North African governments investing more on boxing development, modern infrastructure and exposing their boxers.
The Sub-Saharan African countries should now wake up and smell the coffee.
Lukeman Shaffi (left) and Sonia Atieno struggling to eat the tasteless and inadequate food served at the dining hall
Officiating too has not gone down well with some countries especially when facing Algerian boxers
Kenya’s teenage boxers, Sonia Atieno and Lukeman Shaffi, are not amused with the food provided in the ongoing African School Games in Annaba, Algeria.
National team head coach Musa Benjamin told boxersworld.co.ke the food is inadequate for the nutritional needs of the boxers that at times he’s forced to buy them food from outside the Games Village.
“Mostly we’re served tasteless rice, salad and tasteless half-cooked fish fillet that they all couldn’t eat but on paper it looks appetising,” said Musa.
Musa pointed out it’s not only the Kenyans complaining on bad food but almost the entire teams in Annaba are finding it difficult coping up with what’s served in the dining hall. Some teams like Uganda are preparing their own food.
“Ugandans are smart they are cooking their own food,” said Musa who also expressed concern on biased officiating mostly skewed in favour of Algerian boxers.
A video footage shows a Tunisian boxer bitterly shedding tears after being robbed of victory against an Algerian boxer.
“The Tunisian boxer broke window panes in anger,” said Musa.
The footage also shows an Egyptian official walking out of the boxing hall in protest.
In the 66kg men, for instance, four Algerian and one Tunisian judge were in charge. DR Congo’s Nzengo Pembele lost 5-0 to Tunisia’s Ben Haj Khalid. How the Tunisian judge officiated is difficult to comprehend instead of a judge from a neutral country.
In addition to Tunisia and Egypt, the biased officiating has also affected DR Congo, Eswatini and Ghana.
Commenting on the issue of Sonia Atieno who has no opponent at light-welterweight, Musa said from the look of things she will return home without entering the ring.
“Unfortunately Sonia won’t be awarded a medal since she was the only one in her weight category,” said Musa, adding: “According to the organisers, World Boxing isn’t clear yet about this kind of situation. We are actually yet to get WB technical and competition rules.
“She was really disappointed, shedding tears on learning she wasn’t going to fight but I have calmed her down she has accepted the reality, and it’s not her mistake to be the only entrant in her weight class.”
The Kenyan coach is impressed by Lukeman Shaffi’s confidence ahead of Friday’s final 46kg against Algeria’s Hesnaoui Mohamed Amine.
“He’s surprisingly at ease and composed just waiting to fight,” said Musa.
“We are trying to get him add some weight.Lukeman was to box in the 44kg maximun but on arrival here they changed to 46kg to accommodate their boy.”
On the general standards, Musa noted the North African boxers have an edge.
“The North Africans are generally good having invested heavily in boxing development. Special mention to Algerian 63kg Ben Mouh,” said Musa who feels there’s need for emphasis on junior and youth boxing in Africa.
“There needs to be more structured competitions in Africa beginning with 14yr olds and below,15-16yr olds and 17-18yr olds if we are to bridge the huge gap with Europe, Asia and Americas.”
Kenya's 2019 African Games silver medallist and twice bronze medallist in the Africa Championships Shaffi Bakari and wife Saida Salama, an unfortunate victim of Shaffi's "night attack".
“I was really shocked and frightened my husband punching me so hard on my back for nothing” recalls Saida
Oooouch! A forceful painful blow lands on the back of Shaffi Bakari’s lovely wife, Saida Salama, in the ungodly hours of the night.
Saida wakes up writhing in pain. She’s frightened, shocked and angry at the same time because it’s her trusted hubby who has unleashed the punch.
“Has my husband gone crazy again?,” she wonders because this is not the first time he’s doing it. She watches him in a trance with Shaffi then unaware of the pain he has inflicted on his innocent wife.
Shaffi Bakari in a past international tournament
“Why are you punching me Shaffi?,” queries a visibly annoyed Saida.
“You think I’m your opponent in the ring? Why do you punch me so hard yet I’ve done nothing wrong?,”
Then Saida notices Shaffi is in a world of his own, dreaming he was in the ring, and she became the unfortunate victim.
“I’m so sorry, maybe I was dreaming,” quietly says Shaffi apologetically now coming back to his senses.
Lukeman Shaffi in Annaba, Algeria, gearing up for Friday’s 46kg final against Algeria’s Hesnaoui Mohamed Amine
“These are some of the challenges facing us boxers,” Shaffi told boxersworld.co.ke
“The game is in our blood so at times we dream about our fights.”
This story popped up in my chit chat with Saida and Shaffi both of them thrilled their son, Lukeman Shaffi, had been selected together with Kisumu County’s Sonia Atieno to participate in the ongoing ANOCA African School Games in Annaba, Algeria.
Like any other couple, they’re obviously floating on air their son has fulfilled his cherished dream of emulating his dad by flying out of the country to represent Kenya.
Publish this pls inasubiriwa kwa hamu Mombasa
Their happiness has now reached a crescendo following Lukeman’s qualification to the finals with his Algerian opponent, Hesnaoui Mohamed Amine, since the duo are the only ones in the 46kg category. Therefore they made it straight to the finals on Friday, August 1.
As the cheerful Saida spoke proudly of her son and dad’s addiction to boxing, she recalled that night in 2014 when Shaffi punched her hard in his dreams imagining he was in the ring.
Saida, the jovial, talkative and humorous Coastal beauty, continues with her narration on that shocking night leaving me in stitches. She’s naturally a good story teller.
So, after that unpleasant punch, what happened next? I ask Saida who says she decided to become an “R&J” briefly watching over Shaffi lest he uncorks another bomb in his sleep but gradually sleep caught up with her. The lovebirds woke up in the morning putting behind that bad dream. Shaffi massaged her gently on the painful areas and life moved on.
“I remember that night very well I’ll forget it he had come to Mombasa for a rest,” recalls Saida. “It was around 2am because I checked the time later. I felt a heavy object hitting me on my shoulder and back, I almost fell on the floor from our bed, I screamed asking him why are you punching me, by then he had woken up from his deep sleep and dream asking me in surprise, me beating you? He told me he’s sorry but I didn’t believe him I felt he did it deliberately.
“It’s like he had been timing himself to punch me to avenge what he had in mind that was my thought at the time, and looking at him he was still sleepy. I didn’t believe him because it wasn’t that night alone he was punching me. The first one was worse he almost broke my shoulder.”
Shaffi defended himself saying it was not deliberate.
“It was not my intention to punch my wife, I was deeply asleep dreaming,” says Shaffi explaining by then he was going through a rough time in the ring battling two tough opponents, Peter Mungai of Police and Matayo Keya.
“I was always dreaming how I’m fighting them. Most of the time I didn’t know I was punching my wife, I was doing it deeply asleep.
“In the 2014 incident I had her screaming I woke fast who’s this stealing my wife then I encountered a string of questions why am I punching her, I apologised but it appears she has not believed it she thinks I did it knowingly. She still remains my staunch supporter and when I lose she feels it more than myself and sheds tears.”
Shaffi recounts on the night she punched her it was after the Kenya Open Championships at Nairobi’s Kaloleni Social Hall in 2014.
“By then I was not employed by Kenya Police, I was boxing for KDF, Matayo was the winner in the finals myself I lost to Peter Mungai aka Bia Ndogo. He was such a good experienced boxer with a tight guard not easy to penetrate even if you throw a stone you can’t him.
“I went back to Mombasa very bitter I had failed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games, I was boxing as a light-fly. I think that bitterness of not qualifying for the Games made me throw a jab jab and right all blows landing on my wife.
“Infact it’s even better the punches landed on her, when I’m in Nairobi alone at our Police quarters I used to wake up up with my wrists swollen punching the wall in my dreams but that doesn’t happen anymore these days. I’ve left it to my boy Lukeman, you’ll see him most of the time shadow boxing bobbing and ducking even on the road walking.”
For all the stinging punches she has endured from Shaffi, Saida remains her most loyal supporter.
“I’m a big fan of him since 2011, I used to attend some of his games if he’s fighting within Mombasa, and he hardly lets me down,” says Saida.
“I’m so proud of him, in the estates I’m like a peacock thumping my chest telling my friends I’ve never seen such a great boxer, whenever I attend his games I just want to see him winning but one day when he lost in Mombasa I felt like I’ll go crazy it was so
sad. I was powerless on all my joints, I cried but lucky enough I had covered my face with ninja veil nobody noticed me shedding tears.”
At first Saida was not well versed with boxing. Therefore she didn’t understand how her husband lost.
“After the match we met I was very annoyed asking him why were you beaten? He explained to me, I didn’t understand well I’m not a boxer just his fan. He went on educating me now I know boxing but to be honest when your man loses its so painful, I follow his games and when he’s punched I too feel it I want like to tell the referee let me enter the ring to assist him.
“What I like most is when he knocks down his opponent. I jump up shouting in joy. These days I’m a big fan that I don’t wait to be sent the videos I do it myself. I know where to download them and save the videos myself.”
Away from the sideshows, it’s a momentous time for the Shaffis family as they pray to Allah to guide their son Lukeman featuring Friday’s boxing final of the African School Games in Algeria. It’s either gold or silver for the 13-year-old Lukeman as he looks ahead to more such outings and eventually rise to Kenya’s elite national team if he maintains the momentum. He’s so far unbeaten in 10 fights.
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 26th, 2025, Ibrahim Mafia, fighting under the promotion of Mafia Boxing Promotion, successfully defended his WBC Africa bantamweight title against Aliu Bamidele.
The event, part of the “Knockout ya Mama V” series, saw Mafia win by TKO at 2′ 29″ of the 10th round.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Event: “Knockout ya Mama V” promoted by Mafia Boxing Promotion.
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Main Event: Ibrahim “Mafia” (12-0-1, 8 KOs) vs. Aliu “Lucky Boy” Bamidele (19-1-1, 8 KOs).
Title: WBC Africa bantamweight title.
Result: Ibrahim Mafia won by unanimous decision.
Other Notable Result: Asemahle Wellem defeated Idowu Rasheed by controversial stoppage in their 8-round light-heavyweight bout.
Happy parents Shaffi Bakari and wife Saida with their son Lukeman.
LUKEMAN WINS MEDAL FOR KENYA BUT NO OPPONENT FOR SONIA ▪️ The Kenyan meets Algerian boxer in the finals on August 1 while Sonia’s fate awaits organiser’s decision
Kenya is already assured of a medal following Lukeman Shaffi’s qualification to the finals of the African School Games boxing tournament in Annaba, Algeria.
Boxing starts on Sunday, July 27.
Lukeman, son of Kenya’s international star boxer
Lukeman Shaffi is assured of winning gold or silver medal having qualified for the finals because the 46kg category has only two boxers.
Shaffi Bakari, made it to the finals of the 46kg weight category with his Algerian opponent Hesnaoui Mohamed Amin. They were the only ones in their respective weight division.
“Those were the only two entrants in their weight category, it means we have a medal in the bag,” says Kenya’s national team head coach Musa Benjamin.
Lukeman, from Kenya’s Coastal city of Mombasa, will battle it out with Algeria’s Hesnaoui Mohamed Amin in the finals on August 1.
National novices and intermediate light-welterweight champion Sonia Atieno from Kisumu County will have to wait for the organisers to decide her fate since she was the only entrant in the light-welterweight division.
While IBA rules state a boxer cannot win a medal without stepping into the ring, the World Boxing’s rules are silent on a boxer without an opponent like in the case of Sonia.
Asked on whether Sonia will win a medal on a walkover, Musa Benjamin said the ball is now in the court of the organisers to decide.
“It’s not really a walkover because there was no opponent but the organisers are yet to state their rules on single entries,” said Musa.
“As a youngster I would suggest Sonia wins gold to motivate her because these are School Games, and it’s not her mistake to be the only entrant in her respective weight category.”
Lukeman’s parents, Shaffi Bakari and wife Saida Salama, were over the moon when I shared the news of their son is in the finals.
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“I’m overjoyed my son is in the finals, I thank Allah for the progress he has made winning a medal for the first time he’s representing Kenya,” says international star boxer Shaffi Bakari, adding:”I thank coach Izoo (Issack Kweyu Makokha) at Legacy Gym in Bamburi for working overnight to see Lukeman in the national schools team. I’m confident he’ll win gold under the guidance of the national team head coach Musa Benjamin, a wonderful coach that I have respected since 2011 when I travelled with him for the Commonwealth Youth Games. Coincidentally Musa is again with my son in Algeria. I’m confident my son will perform better than me. He has fitted very well in my boots.”
Lukeman’s mum Saida Salama in Mombasa says if she had wings she would fly to Algeria.
“Leo lazima nile biryani kuku, furaha ilioje (today I must eat biryani and chicken I’m so happy, wow!,” says Lukeman’s mum.
She went on:”As a parent and mother of Lukeman I thank Allah my son who I love so much is in the finals. We hope he will bring us a gold medal. Boxing is in the blood of both Lukeman and his dad. One night he punched me dreaming he was in the ring, I had to alert my husband you’re not in the ring stop punching me I’m not your opponent. Like the father, my son is addicted to boxing. Wherever he is even in the house you’ll see him shadow boxing. Go! go! my lovely Lukeman you can beat the Algerian in the finals.”
Flag bearer Sonia Atieno during the opening ceremony of the inaugural ANOCA African School Games in Annaba, Algeria on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
The boxing competition in the inaugural ANOCA African School Games has attracted 63 boxers from 13 countries:
Kenya's teenage boxers, 13-year-old Lukeman Shaffi (left) and 16-year-old Sonia Atieno enjoy their maiden flight to Algeria for the inaugural African School Games.
AN EXCITING AND TORTUOUS 18-HOUR JOURNEY TO ALGERIA FOR KENYAN TEENAGE BOXERS
▪️”To make the trip more comfortable I sat with them on our flight to Algeria”, says coach Musa Benjamin
It was an inspiring, engaging, exciting, scary and tortuous 18- hour journey to Algeria for Kenyan teenage boxers, Sonia Atieno and Lukeman Shaffi, who will participate in the inaugural African School Games in Annaba, Algeria, starting today (July 26, 2025).
Luckily enough they were accompanied by the vastly experienced and widely travelled Kenya’s national boxing team head coach Musa Benjamin. He describes the trip as a tiresome experience for the young boxers in their first ever flight.
“This has been a tortuous first flight trip for the youngsters but I was there for them,” says Musa.
“We left Nairobi on Thursday evening for this tiresome long journey with our young pugilists. We travelled for five hours to Dubai, seven hours to Algiers then another eight hours by road to Annaba.
“It was mixed feelings of excitement, fear and anxiety in their first ever flight,” Musa told boxersworld.co.ke
“To make it a bit more comfortable, I sat with them as a parent to guide them in everything pertaining to a flight journey. They enjoyed it, though at times closing their eyes in fear.”
Wacha kaende…Lukeman and Sonia on their way to Algeria.
Commenting on the participation of Sonia and Lukeman in the African School Games, Musa says: “This is going to be a psychologically very important tournament for these young boxers. It will definitely motivate not only them, but the very many young ones coming up well in different parts of our country.The feeling of representing your country is so huge.”
Boxing starts tomorrow (July 27, 2025) and already Musa is not amused with some areas in the organisation of the boxing tournament.
“I’m concerned with the organisation of these Games where it seems boxers as young as 14 could end up fighting 17-year-olds. These are totally different age groups but let’s wait for the technical meeting,” says a concerned Musa who has previously accompanied young boxers to the 2008 and 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.
For the Games to take place, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the International School Sport Federation (ISF).
The Games will bring together between 2000 to 3000 students from across Africa taking part in various disciplines such as boxing, athletics, football and basketball.
Celebrated Kenyan distance athlete Paul Tergat, the immediate former chairman of National Olympic Committee of Kenya, inspires the young Kenyan boxers ahead of the boxing competition starting on July 27, 2025.
“These Games reflect our shared ambition to promote school sports and offer young Africans a platform to flourish in a spirit of excellence and fraternity,” ANOCA president Mustapha Berraf was quoted as saying by the _Inside_ _Education_ publication.
TANZANIA’S MAFIA TODAY DEFENDS WBC AFRICA TITLE ▪️He is facing Nigeria’s Aliu Bamidele in what promises to be a tough fight for unbeaten Tanzanian infront of home fans
As part of the WBC’s Year of Africa celebrations, Ibrahim “Mafia” and Aliu “Lucky Boy” Bamidele will headline the “Knockout ya Mama V” event today, July 26, at Viwanja vya Posta in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The event, promoted by Mafia Boxing Promotions, will feature the defense of the WBC Africa bantamweight title by undefeated local fighter, Ibrahim Mafia (12-0-1, 8 KOs), who won the belt in October, 2024, after knocking out Ghanaian Enoch Tettey Tetteh in the ninth round.
His challenger will be Nigerian Aliu “Lucky Boy” Bamidele (19-1-1, 8 KOs), an experienced boxer who will seek to be crowned WBC Africa champion and join the growing list of African talents striving for greater visibility on the world boxing map.
During the official weigh-in, Ibrahim Mafia registered 53.2 kgs, while Bamidele tipped the scales at 54.2 kgs.
Present at the weigh-in was the president of the local commission, Emmanuel Saleh, a very good friend of the ABU and the WBC.
The fight supervisor is ABU President and WBC Vice President, Houcine Houichi, from Tunisia.
As part of the WBC’s Year of Africa celebrations, Ibrahim “Mafia” and Aliu “Lucky Boy” Bamidele will headline the “Knockout ya Mama V” event today, July 26, at Viwanja vya Posta in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The event, promoted by Mafia Boxing Promotions, will feature the defense of the WBC Africa bantamweight title by undefeated local fighter, Ibrahim Mafia (12-0-1, 8 KOs), who won the belt in October, 2024, after knocking out Ghanaian Enoch Tettey Tetteh in the ninth round.
His challenger will be Nigerian Aliu “Lucky Boy” Bamidele (19-1-1, 8 KOs), an experienced boxer who will seek to be crowned WBC Africa champion and join the growing list of African talents striving for greater visibility on the world boxing map.
During the official weigh-in, Ibrahim Mafia registered 53.2 kgs, while Bamidele tipped the scales at 54.2 kgs.
Present at the weigh-in was the president of the local commission, Emmanuel Saleh, a very good friend of the ABU and the WBC.
The fight supervisor is ABU President and WBC Vice President, Houcine Houichi, from Tunisia.
▪️ Kampala, Nairobi, Nakuru and Kisumu Combined to trade leather next month
Kisumu will host an InterCity tournament from August 16, 2025.
Announcing this today, the Secretary-General of Kisumu County Boxing Association, Dominic Opiyo, said at stake is Kakwacha Cup to be competed for by boxers from the four cities.
“Kakwacha Foods is a popular hotel in Kisumu whose CEO, Edward Onyango, is the Kisumu County Boxing Association team manager, they will partly sponsor the tournament,” said Opiyo.
“Kisumu Combined will be a merger of Western Kenya teams from Busia, Siaya, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Migori and Kisumu,” said Opiyo, adding: “We want to be represented by one formidable team made up of boxers from Western Kenya.”
As for Nakuru, Opiyo made it clear, the team invited is Nakuru Amateur Boxing Club under the leadership of the county chairman Isaac Mbote who is also the Vice-President of the Boxing Federation of Kenya (BFK).
“We will not allow any other team other than the one under Mbote’s leadership,” Opiyo clarified.
He said the aim of the tournament is to foster unity among the participating teams and to expose new boxers to a competitive event especially from Western Kenya known for producing promising male boxers in the heavier weights such as former international Zack Amalemba, a product of Kisumu who won the 1971 intermediate tournament at the Kaloleni Social Hall in Nairobi competing for Kenya Prisons.
Amalemba is remembered for knocking out the dreaded David Attan – Africa champion in 1972 in Nairobi – during the 1976 Olympic Games trials at Nairobi’s Desai Memorial Hall. Lawrence Jaoko, a former light-middleweight international, is also a Kisumu product.
Kisumu County’s sensational schoolgirl Sonia Atieno will lead the women’s team. Sonia is currently in Algeria representing Kenya in the inaugural African Schools Games.
Kampala will be represented in the following weight categories: men’ from 48 kg to 91+kg and women 48 kg 52 kg 63 kg and 67 kg.
One of East Africa’s dreaded boxers in late 60s and 70s, Kenya’s David Attan, found himself in this unfamiliar position when he was KO’d by Kisumu product Zack Amalemba of Prisons in the 1976 Olympic Games trials at Nairobi’s Desai Memorial Hall.
“I’m requesting the other participants to let us know the weight classes they’ll be represented to enable us plan well in advance,” said Opiyo.
