Nigeria have secured five places in the finals of the African Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, keeping their hopes of winning multiple gold medals alive despite a difficult start to the continental competition.
Ridwan Raheem, Ajishola Khadijat, Precious Anine, Blessing Orakwe and Patricia Mbata are the five Nigerian boxers who have progressed to the final stage, offering the country an opportunity to finish the tournament on a high note after several setbacks in the opening rounds.
The achievement represents a significant turnaround for Nigeria’s 10-member contingent, which suffered five defeats during the early stages of the competition. However, the remaining fighters have responded with determined performances to keep the country’s medal ambitions on track.
Raheem spearheaded Nigeria’s recovery on Monday with a victory over Algeria’s Ismail Bekhsis in the men’s 60-65kg category. The win provided an important boost for the Nigerian team after a difficult opening stretch.
Before the contest, Raheem had expressed his determination to secure a convincing victory and avoid leaving the outcome open to controversial judging decisions.
His performance was followed by an emphatic display from Khadijat, who defeated Kenya’s Amina Martha by a unanimous 5-0 decision in Bout 41 of the women’s 51-54kg category on Tuesday.
Competing from the blue corner, Khadijat impressed all five judges, securing a clean sweep of the verdicts to book her place in the final.
Precious Anine continued Nigeria’s momentum with another unanimous 5-0 victory over Egypt’s Ayyad Yomna in the women’s 60-65kg semi-final, contested as Bout 45.
Anine’s commanding performance ensured that Nigeria secured another place in the championship finals, strengthening the team’s prospects of adding to its medal collection.
Blessing Orakwe also delivered a decisive result, stopping Uganda’s Aiwine Diana in the opening round of their women’s 75-80kg contest, listed as Bout 47.
The early stoppage underlined Orakwe’s effectiveness in the ring and secured her progression to the final, giving Nigeria another opportunity to compete for gold.
Patricia Mbata had already qualified for the final stage, completing Nigeria’s list of five finalists at the competition.
However, the route to the finals has not been straightforward for the Nigerian team. Sunday’s bouts proved particularly difficult, with Aishat Gbadamosi, Abdulramon Abdulwahab, Emmanuel Chuwuka and Kenneth Anigboro losing their respective contests against opponents from Algeria, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda.
Some of the decisions attracted complaints from spectators, raising concerns about the officiating. Nevertheless, the five Nigerian finalists have kept the country’s campaign alive through their performances in the subsequent bouts.
Nigeria Boxing Federation board member and head of delegation, Captain Rasulun Kashim, had earlier expressed confidence in the ability of the country’s boxers to compete with their continental rivals, pointing to their talent and determination.
The five finalists now face the challenge of converting their progress into championship titles as the competition reaches its decisive stage.
For Nigeria, the outcome of the finals could provide a significant boost to the country’s boxing programme and reinforce the importance of sustained investment in elite-level preparation, technical development and international competition.
With five fighters still in contention for gold, attention will turn to their final bouts in Nairobi as Team Nigeria seeks to turn its recovery into a successful championship finish.
