▪️Out of the twenty-six boxers in action on Day Four, 17 were sent packing while nine qualified for the round of 16
▪️Four boxers including Zambia’s doyen Patrick Chinyemba and DR Congo’s celebrated boxer Pita Kabeji received byes to the pre-quarters
▪️ Plus full results of Day Four action
07/12/2025
The chaff has been sorted out from the wheat with 32 African boxers qualifying for the round of 16 in the ongoing $8.32 IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
A total of 72 boxers from the 34 African countries represented in IBA’s flagship event have been eliminated. The battle is now getting intensive as the round of 16 bouts start today, December 8, 2025, with those dropping out in the quarter-finals assured of $10,000 in the new prize money structure introduced by the IBA which has made sure the coaches and NFs also get their share of the cake to ensure they stop salivating when they see their boxers earning millions of dollars yet they have also invested their time, knowledge and money in grooming the boxers. It’s a win-win situation.
The nine qualifiers to pre-quarters on Day Four action are Eswatini’s featherweight Mukelo Dlamini, Zambia’s light-welterweight Emmanuel Katema, Kenya’s newcomer featherweight Paul Omondi, Mozambizan hitman Tiago Muxanga at light-middleweight, Mauritius’ featherweight Niven Chemben, Libya’s light-welterweight Yazin Alhuwayi, South Africa’s two boxers, light-middleweight Blessing Nziyana and featherweight Masinulele Sigwela.
Zambia’s African Games champion Patrick Chinyemba and DR Congo’s three-time African champion are among the four boxers who received byes to the round of 16. Kabeji meets Spain’s Adrian Fresneda while Chinyemba takes on Moldova’s Ion Plinga, all bouts taking place on December 9. The other two are Mauritius’ Mandela Cup champion. Valerie Fabrice who meets Thailand’s flyweight Phanuwat Punnakorn and Cameroon’s cruiserweight Guillaume Fabrice pitted against Ecuador’s Marlo Javier. Today’s bout of the day in the pre-quarters is between Cuba’s multiple Olympic and world champion Julio Cesar La Cruz and Senegal’s Africa heavyweight champion Karamba Kebe.
Among the highlights on Day Four was Tiago Muxanga’s explosive encounter against Uzbekistan’s Shavkatjon Boltaev. A flurry of stinging combinations in the first round saw the Uzbek boxer receive a standing count. Boltaev came back strongly on the front foot in the second round sending down the Mozambican boxer on his knees for an eight count. The Uzbek boxer maintained his dominance. He would feint with his left and then release a right short uppercut to the chin of the tough Muxanga who stepped up pressure in the third round fought at a blistering pace with bombs exploding. The dominant Muxanga had the last laugh with 4-3 bout review verdict.
Kenyan rookie Paul Omondi surprised his handlers with his confidence and courageous display in his first appearance in the World Championships. At times he would even showboat as he contained the Libyan southpaw.
It appears Kenya’s head coach Musa Benjamin was not impressed by his complacency and must have told him my friend this is not a picnic be serious if you want the money.
Omondi came out charging like a wounded buffalo in the second round, subjecting the Libyan to two standing counts and a cut above the left eye.
Feeling the fierce onslaught from Omondi, the Libyan decided a bike will come in handy but still the Kenyan boxer was all over him and was docked points for holding it down. The Kenyan youngster punched the air in excitement when he was declared the winner on points.
Omondi’s compatriot and skipper of the Kenya team Boniface Mogunde paid dearly for wasting the first round doing more dancing than the serious business in the ring.
Mogunde, the reigning African light-middleweight champion, should have realised at times his outboxing approach can’t always work perfectly for him against some opponents. What he needed to do was to release the bees on his opponent Sarkhan Aliyev of Azerbaijan, a bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships.
The Kenyan had an edge in the second round carrying the fight to his opponent. In the third he did the same but most of his punches did not land on target as his relaxed adversary connected more accurately with the few punches he released in the final round. He won by a 4-1 decision.
Kenya’s head coach Musa Benjamin had his reservations on the decision. He felt his boxer did more spadework to carry the day.
“Mogunde having watched previous fights of his experienced opponent, didn’t come out firing on all cylinders in the first round showing a bit more respect to the guy but he was in control in the second and third rounds,” Musa told boxersworld.co.ke
Musa was impressed by Paul Omondi’s gutsy display but not in the first round.
“Paul Omondi was a bit complacent in the first round giving the Libyan an edge.He was very comfortable with the pace so we now had to shift gears and in the 2nd round pressure fight stepping in with lots of punches,” said Musa.
“Some technical work is required. I’m happy for Paul who was too composed for a debutant. He followed instructions/plan to the letter. As for Caleb Wandera inexperience was a factor in his split loss to the Argentine whose southpaw stance complicated matters for him. Also, he was not able to find his range and rhythm. Additionally, he still needs some technical and tactical work.
They have shown great promise otherwise.”
