Algeria, Cameroon, Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa were excellent in the quarter-finals of the 10th All-Africa Games boxing tournament in Maputo. Fifteen nations keep at least one athlete in the competition.
Beijing Olympian Ronald Serugo secured Uganda's only medal in Maputo but he had a hectic battle against former Commonwealth Games winner Japhet Uutoni of Namibia. Their light flyweight bout finished 9:9 but Serugo advanced to the semi-finals with accepted scores and will face AIBA President's Cup silver medalist and top favourite, Cameroons Willy Thomas Essomba.
Ethiopia's newcomer, Kibron Tewelde, caused a huge surprise when he eliminated African Championships bronze medalist, 25-year-old Bathusi Mogajane from Botswana, by 15:9 and secured his nation's only medal in the Games. Tewelde's next opponent will be World Combat Games bronze medallist, Mohamed Flissi.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and African Zonal Champion, 21-year-old Oteng Oteng from Botswana, lost to Kenyan Benson Gicharu in New Delhi last year. But the young boxer finally surpassed his old rival on their re-match in Maputo. The final verdict of the contest was 10:8 to Oteng who secured Botswana's first medal.
Mozambique's Artur Cremildo Guifutela not only beat defending African Champion, Mauritian Ludovic Gilbert Bactora, but the young boxer was really brave in front of his home crowd. The final verdict of their flyweight bout was 12:11 to Cremildo who secured Mozambique's first ever boxing medal in an African Games.
Tough Tunisian Ahmed Mejri advanced to the semi-finals after beating Algeria's lightweight No.2, Brahim Oukil, by 16:11. He will fight against former African Champion Jean John Colin of Mauritius for the gold medal.
African Championships bronze medallist, 29-year-old Mmoloki Nogeng from Botswana, had enough experience to beat Benin's WSB boxer and Road to Milan program member Shafick Chitou by 10:7. Nogeng's next opponent will be Cameroons Abdon Mewoli in the lightweight semi-finals.
Reigning African Champion and Mauritius' star, Richarno Colin, follows on his excellent winning series. The 24-year-old light-welterweight boxer was too strong for Beijing Olympian, Zambian Precious Makina. The referee stopped the contest in the last round and Colin will now face Botswana's Gomotsang Gaasite.
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Memorial Tournament winner, Cameroons 29-year-old Joseph Mulema, who is the welterweight class' top favourite in Maput, demonstrated his power against Commonwealth Championships silver medallist Moabi Mothiba from Botswana, and advanced to the semi-finals.
African Elite Champion and Mauritius' biggest talent, 19-year-old Kennedy St. Pierre, shocked the Tunisian ringside when he eliminated middleweight's star Hassan Chagtemi by a close 12:10. Another teenager, Youth Olympian Muideen Akanji of Nigeria also advanced to the semi-finals after beating Tanzania's Selemani Kidunda by 14:3.
Beijing Olympic Games quarter-finalist, Algerian Abdelhafid Benchebla, confirmed his great victory over Tunisia's Yahya Mkacheri in the preliminary round with a quick winning fight against AIBA World Championships competitor, Angolan Norberto Castro, in the quarter-finals of the light heavyweight class.
In the super heavyweight class, Algeria's veteran Kamel Rahmani unexpectedly eliminated reigning African Champion, Cameroons Blaise Yepmou Medouo, by 19:12. African Championships bronze medallist, Tunisian Aymen Trabelsi, overwhelmed Ghana's Haruna Osumanu by a large margin of points, 19:4.
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