The penultimate day of the 2017 AFBC African Confederation Boxing Championships in the Congo capital city of Brazzaville saw five titles awarded in the Women’s competition, with boxers from Algeria, Cameroon and Morocco earning the first of the African Continental titles. Sunday sees the final day of action during which the remaining five Women’s and all ten of the Men’s Finals will take place.

Algeria number one Souhila Bouchene delivered the performance of the day among the women boxers, the Light Flyweight (48kg) who won All-Africa gold in the same venue two years ago repeated that form to overcome Cameroon’s Christine Akoa Bengono and lift the AFBC title in assured fashion. She was joined on top of the podium by teammate Ouidad Sfouh after she defeated Central African Republic’s Nadege Marline Niamboungui at Bantamweight (56kg).

Earlier in the day, Cameroon Featherweight (57kg) Christelle Aurore Ndiang had won the first gold of the tournament, sealing an impressive campaign with a win over Algerian top seed Nour El Houda Baahmed. Yannicke Azangue Aubiege then claimed Cameroon’s second title with a win over Algeria’s Hadjila Khelif in the Welterweight (69kg) Final after Morocco’s Oumayma Belahbib had lifted the Light Welterweight (64kg) title.

In the Men’s Semi-Finals, 16 nations were represented, and while their qualification for Hamburg was already secured, the battle for the AFBC titles remains as strong as ever. A World silver medallist in Doha two years ago, Algerian Flyweight Mohamed Flissi was back in sparkling form as he overcame Madagascar’s Marco Jerome Andrianarivelo to set up a gold-medal match-up with Botswana’s Youth Africa Games winner Mohamed Otukile Rajab.

Flissi’s Rio 2016 Olympic teammate Reda Benbaziz progressed to the Lightweight (60kg) final where he will face Kenya’s Nick Okongo, before Mauritius’ Rio 2016 Olympian Merven produced an inspired performance to beat the tough Egyptian Walid Said Sedik Mohamed and advance to a Welterweight (69kg) final with Ugandan National Champion Muzamiru Kakande. Cameroon’s Arsene Fokou Fosso then dug deep to defeat Egypt’s Rezk Mostafa Hafez Uosry thanks to a brilliant second round and set up a Super Heavyweight (+91kg)  Final against Uganda’s David Ayiti.

Namibia’s Matias Hamunyela continued the country’s strong tradition at Light Flyweight (49kg) against Kenya’s Hassan Shaffi Bakari and now meets Cameroon’s Rio 2016 Olympian Simplice Fotsala in the final, while his teammate and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jonas Junias Jonas reached the Light Welterweight (64kg) final with a strong display against Congo’s Dival Malonga Dzalamou and face Egypt’s London 2012 Olympian Mohamed Eslam Aly for the gold. Egypt’s double-Olympian Hossam Hussein Bakr Abdin was back to his best against Kenya’s John Nzioka Kyalo to reach the Middleweight (75kg) Final where he will go toe-to-toe with Cameroon’s All Africa Games winner Dieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue in one of the pick of Sunday’s bouts.

The Heavyweights (91kg) rounded off a memorable day of boxing with Laury Yannick Pembouabeka continuing his excellent run by eliminating Angola’s London 2012 Olympian Tumba Silva, and the Congolese newcomer will go up against Morocco’s Abdeldjalil Abouhamda for the title.

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