Nigeria’s Rasheed Abolaji ‘Afonja Warrior’ will on Saturday night [January 20] attempt to rule the continent in boxing as he battles with Bilel Jkitou for the African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight title.
The 12-round bout is scheduled to hold at the Salle Couverte de Hay Al Matar, Laayoune, Morocco.
Unbeaten Jkitou boasts an intimating record of eight wins including two TKOs and stands to enjoy tremendous home support from his kinsmen, in his attempt to rule Africa.
Unarguably, Afonja Warrior who is the national and West African Boxing Union (WABU) middleweight champion, is also a boxer to reckon with given his exploits.
The Kwara State-born boxer won 12 of his 15 fights so far and has fought in Ghana and UK before. His first loss in the middleweight division was in Ghana against home boy Abodai Sai when he retired after the eighth round. His only defeat in Nigeria was at the hands of Sule Olagbade, who won by unanimous decision to claim the vacant national super welterweight title.
‘Afonja Warrior’ it will be recalled, last year lost by unanimous decision to Sam Sheedy at Sheffield, UK in the vacant Commonwealth (British Empire) middleweight title.
In what served as a build up to tonight’s African title fight, ‘Afonja Warrior’ last December in Lagos on Boxing Day defeated Ghanaian Aryee Ayittey to successfully defend the West African title.
“I was able to use my wealth of experience from my previous fights to beat the Ghanaian boxer and I’m confident of beating Bilel though, he has never lost before but I had 15 fights while he had only eight. I have watched his past fights including his last fight.
” I learned a lot after my fight in UK. So, I know how to approach any of my fights now. I won’t fall to any antics in Morocco. I’m prepared to come back home with the belt. This is a great opportunity for me. I lost to Sheedy because of home advantage and I won’t leave anything to chance against Bilel,” the reigning West African champion told Tribunesport.
Also, Remi Aboderin, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) who accompanied ‘Afonja Warrior’ on the trip told Tribunesport during the week expressed confidence in the orthodox boxer.
“He is well prepared for the fight and we hope for the best. We arrived in Morocco safely and he has acclimatised well. ‘Afonja Warrior’ is in high spirits to come back home with the belt. His coach [Sheu Yusuf] has worked on all areas that need to make his boy fight to his full potential and what we need now is prayers from Nigerians to make his dream come true,” Aboderin said.
It will be recalled that only last month, two Nigerian boxers Oto Joseph and Olaide Fijabi became African champions.
Oto ‘Joe Boy’ knocked Egyptian Abdulrahim Ahmed out to win the lightweight belt, while Fijabi also knocked Tanzanian Shadrack Ignas Kobero out to claim the light welterweight title.
Discussion about this post