NAIROBI, 22 October 2026 – Aziz Abdul Ringo powered into the final of the 2026 African Boxing Championships with a hard-fought victory over Angola’s Adilson Luta Mabanza, becoming Uganda’s fourth finalist as the Bombers endured three semi-final defeats in Nairobi.
Ringo edged Mabanza 3–2 in the heavyweight division (85–90kg), keeping Uganda’s gold-medal ambitions alive and joining Samuel Nsubuga, Mulungi Kassim and Vanessa Nagawa in the finals of the continental showpiece.
The victory was a significant boost for Uganda, whose campaign has yielded an impressive collection of guaranteed medals across the men’s and women’s categories.
Ringo’s progression follows an outstanding run by Nsubuga, who defeated Kenya’s Emmanuel Odhiambo 5–0 in the bantamweight semi-finals, and Mulungi, who stopped Algeria’s Hichem Maouche in the third round by referee-stopped contest (RSC).
Nagawa also secured her place in the final with a commanding 5–0 victory over Algeria’s Douaa Rouaz in the women’s featherweight division.
However, Wednesday’s action brought disappointment for three other Ugandans who fell short of the finals.
Cruiserweight Arafat Kibirige (80–85kg) suffered a knockout defeat against Angola’s Moses Chiangulula, ending his gold-medal pursuit.
Light-heavyweight Richard Kasujja (75–80kg) lost 5–0 to Algeria’s Mustapha Abdou, while women’s flyweight boxer Brendah Muduwa (48–51kg) also suffered a 5–0 defeat against Kenya’s Veronica Mbithe.
All three will settle for bronze medals after their semi-final exits.
Meanwhile, middleweight Alfred Ojok’s semi-final bout against Tanzania’s Amos Tryphone Mberwa was postponed to Thursday morning, leaving Uganda with another opportunity to increase its number of finalists.
Uganda entered the decisive stages with 13 boxers having reached the semi-finals, guaranteeing the country at least 9 bronze and 4 silver/Gold medals after presenting 18 athletes for the championships.
With four finalists now confirmed, the Bombers have secured opportunities to improve that tally, with each finalist assured of at least silver.
The focus now shifts to converting those opportunities into gold, with Ringo’s narrow victory providing fresh momentum for Uganda’s push for continental honours. Nsubuga, Mulungi and Nagawa will also be seeking to crown their impressive campaigns with gold medals.
Ojok’s rescheduled contest could further strengthen Uganda’s final contingent as the championships approach their climax.
