▪️Sierra Leone’s coach William Brereton cries foul citing questionable officiating. “My boxer won last two rounds 3-2 how she lost is not convincing,” says Josefien’s coach
February 25, 2026
It was a painful day for African boxers with all seven of them in action swept away by a tidal wave of punches on Day Two of the 77th edition of Strandja International Tournament in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
In what is likened to a powerful tsunami, the loss of the seven boxers left a trail of broken spirits and shattered dreams in its wake.
The seven casualties included four Algerian boxers who were overwhelmed by their opponents’ swirling force of power despite putting up a lot of resistance.
Sierra Leone’s coach William Brereton is surprised his boxer, Josefien Betist, lost 3-2 points despite winning the last two rounds in the lightweight bout against Romania’s Claudia Nechita.
“We won, that was bad decision,” Brereton told boxersworld.co.ke in a telephone interview from Sofia, wondering how they lost yet Josefien won the last two rounds.
“I genuinely thought she won the fight. Score card reads she lost the first round 4-1 which she did enough to take the round. Josefien won the last two rounds 3-2, winning two out three rounds on judges cards but surprisingly lost the bout 3-2 because of Judges going different ways in different rounds. Her opponent was holding a lot. Overall great experience we move on.”
The first victim in the annihilation was Algeria’s twice silver medallist in the Africa Elite Championships, Fatiha Mansouri, who was beaten 4-1 by Uzbekistan’s Zhazira Urakbayeva in women’s flyweight while Egypt’s Aly Habiba lost 4-1 to Bulgaria’s Poptoleva Venelina in another women’s flyweight bout.
Algeria’s female light-middleweight Djouher Benane was no match for Germany’s Leonie Muller going down 5-0.
Egypt’s men’s bantamweight Amir Kelany was beaten 5-0 by Ukraine’s Maksym Zymenko, Algeria’s women’s bantamweight Douaa Rovaz lost 5-0 to England’s Lauren Mackie with Algeria’s men’s heavyweight Oussama Arbia Mohamed beaten 5-0 by Ukraine’s Bogdan Tolmachov.
The second day of the tournament was most successful for the Kazakhstan national team. Victories were achieved in both the women’s (54 kg, 70 kg) and men’s categories (55 kg, 65 kg, 85 kg, and 90 kg). Boxers from Uzbekistan earned seven victories.
Full Results of Day Two – Strandja Cup 2026 (February 24)
51 kg — Women (Round of 32)
Maki Klotzer (Germany) – Gulsevar Ganieva (Uzbekistan) 5:0
Daina Moorhouse (Ireland) – Mungunsaran Balsan (Mongolia) 3:2
Zhazira Urakbayeva (Kazakhstan) – Fatiha Mansouri (Algeria) 4:1
Jennifer Lozano (USA) – Feruza Kazakova (Uzbekistan) 1:4
Venelina Poptoleva (Bulgaria) – Habiba Ali (Egypt) 4:1
Eda Nur Kilicci (Turkey) – Kelsey Oakley (England) 0:5
Anita Adisheva (Kazakhstan) – Kaitlyn Fryers (Ireland) 0:5
54 kg — Women (Round of 16)
Tala Habbas (Bulgaria) – Zhayna Shekerbekova (Kazakhstan) 0:5
Yoselin Perez (USA) – Tatiana Obermayer (Germany) 5:0
Lauren Mackie (England) – Duaa Rouaz (Algeria) 5:0
Helen Jones (Wales) – Jennifer Lehane (Ireland) 0:5
Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg (Mongolia) – Anel Sakysh (Kazakhstan) 0:5
Inna Statkevych (Ukraine) – Ana Livia Linhares (Brazil) 2:3
Monique Suraci (Australia) – Elina Bazarova (Kazakhstan) 1:4
Aysen Taskin (Turkey) – Uzukamol Yunusova (Uzbekistan) 5:0
60 kg — Women (Round of 32)
Kelly McLaughlin (Ireland) – Gizem Ozer (Turkey) 0:5
Lucy Kings-Whittley (England) – Rebeca de Lima Santos (Brazil) 2:3
Claudia Nechita (Romania) – Jozefin Betist (Slovenia) 3:2
65 kg — Women (Round of 32)
Andra Crinuta Sebe (Romania) – Carlotta Schunemann (Germany) 4:1
70 kg — Women (Round of 16)
Lekisha Pergoliti (Australia) – Oysha Toirova (Uzbekistan) 5:0
Leonie Müller (Germany) – Jouher Benane (Algeria) 5:0
Evelyn Igharo (Ireland) – Chantelle Reid (England) 2:3
Madina Nursheva (Kazakhstan) – Dilara Sak (Turkey) 4:1
55 kg — Men (Round of 16)
Zidan Hunbatov (Azerbaijan) – Zhirayr Sargsyan (Armenia) 5:0
Amir Kelani (Egypt) – Maksym Zimenko (Ukraine) 0:5
Lado Karchava (Georgia) – Baran Kirkgozler (Turkey) 0:5
Yasen Radev (Bulgaria) – Meylis Shaduddiyev (Turkmenistan) 5:0
Abdulaziz Abdunazarov (Uzbekistan) – Baglan Kenzhibek (Kazakhstan) 0:5
Gor Ayvazyan (Georgia) – Bilguunsaikhan Kharkhuu (Mongolia) WO
Lorenzo Patricio (USA) – Timur Kabdeshov (Kazakhstan) 4:1
Samandar Olimov (Uzbekistan) – Ali El Sari (Germany) 5:0
65 kg — Men (Round of 32)
Maksud Khasmetov (Azerbaijan) – Patrise Mugalzai (England) 2:3
Abdikarim Abdigalym (Kazakhstan) – Abdulloh Madaminov (Uzbekistan) 0:5
Dean Clancy (Ireland) – Enes Refik Ciftci (Turkey) RSC R1 1:07 | Win for Dean Clancy (Ireland)
Enkhtur Tegshjargal (Mongolia) – Yuri Falcao Reis (Brazil) 1:4
Zaur Gakhramanov (Azerbaijan) – Ilya Kalinin (Kazakhstan) 1:4
Lasha Gagnidze (Georgia) – Victorio Iliev (Bulgaria) 4:1
Malik Hasanov (Azerbaijan) – Giacomo Giannotti (Italy) 4:0 R2 1:42
Yigit Us (Turkey) – Marcus Luther (USA) | RSC R2 2:51, win for Marcus Luther (USA)
Yertugan Zeinullinov (Kazakhstan) – Jason Nevin (Ireland) 3:1
85 kg — Men (Round of 16)
Akmaljon Isroilov (Uzbekistan) – Nathan Ojo (Ireland) 5:0
Saba Kvinikadze (Georgia) – Sultanbek Aibaruly (Kazakhstan) 0:5
Razvan Ciobanu (Romania) – Rahat Mollamuradov (Turkmenistan) | Razvan Ciobanu (Romania) did not appear
Danylo Zhasan (Ukraine) – Daniel Komarek (Czech Republic) 5:0
Norbek Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) – Matei Nastasyuk (Romania) 5:0
Michael Deruish (Austria) – Kristian Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 0:5
Matvii Razhba (Ukraine) – Samet Ersoy (Turkey) 5:0
Paolo Caruso (Italy) – Bekzat Tangatar (Kazakhstan) 2:3
90 kg — Men (Round of 16)
Isaias Santos Ribeiro Filho (Brazil) – Jack Marley (Ireland) 5:0
Turabek Khabibullaev (Uzbekistan) – Teagan Stott (England) RSC R2 2:50 | Win for Turabek Khabibullaev (Uzbekistan)
Daulet Tulemissov (Kazakhstan) – Semion Boldyrev (Bulgaria) 5:0
Jorge Luis Maieta (Romania) – Joseph Avignon (USA) 0:5
Taulant Jakupi (Kosovo) – Dean Nwokedi Chime (Italy) 0:5
Bogdan Tolmachov (Ukraine) – Mohamed Oussama Arbia (Algeria) 5:0
Samir Sobirov (Uzbekistan) – Vitalii Walter (Germany) 5:0
Roselin Bachevski (Bulgaria) – Nurmagamed Yusupov (Kazakhstan) DSQ R1 1:42 | Win for Nurmagamed Yusupov (Kazakhstan)
Full results courtesy of sportaran.com
