Three Kenyans to contest for gold in Africa Boxing Championships finals

Three Kenyans will contest the finals of the Africa Elite Boxing Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo, after sailing through their semifinal bouts this week.

Debutant Clinton Macharia was the first Kenyan to book his place in the gold-medal matchup after scoring a deserved unanimous points victory over fellow super-heavyweight Angola’s Luvo Jordilson on Tuesday, 22 October.

He will on Friday, afternoon seek to become the first Kenyan boxer to bring home an African Championships title since 2017, when he takes on Moroccan Bouhdid Younes in the last event of the day.

Speaking ahead of the final, Macharia, who labels his technique as “Cuban style” with movement and low hands, said, “I hope for the best. Won’t be easy, but I hope to do my best and make the country proud.”

Earlier on Friday, and with a chance to win an elusive gold will be light-heavyweight Elizabeth Andiego, who will take on Morocco’s Larti Hasna.

Andiego, an African Championships bronze and silver medalist, outfoxed homegirl Marie-Joelle Mwika to win Wednesday’s semifinals and is now a fight away from one of her biggest career triumphs.

Speaking briefly after her win, Andiego said, “I am going for gold.”

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The last of the finalists, fighting on Saturday, 26 October, will be team captain Boniface Mogunde, who will take on Burundi’s Nestor Nduwarugira in a light-middleweight contest.

Mogunde, a bronze medalist from Maputo in 2022, came up big against Morocco’s Abidine Amroug in a thrilling semifinal, to set up a rematch with Nduwarugira after defeating him in the Zone Three championships two years ago.

“I am excited to be in my first Africa Championships final. God above everything,” Mogunde said.