Libreville: Cameroon struggles in Central African boxing championship.

The team bagged a gold medal, seven silver medals and two bronze medals to place behind the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville in the four-nation tournament. 

DR Congo defended its winner’s title in the competition for the third successive time after garnering a total of 15 medals, including 11 gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Gabon placed second after securing 14 medals. Among them, two gold, five silver and seven bronze while Congo Brazzaville totaled five medals with two of them in gold and three in silver. Cameroon fielded three female and seven male 10 boxers in the tournament. 

The contingent managed by national head coach, Alain Didier Ngatcha, included six newcomers and four experienced boxers led by Cameroon international defending Central African flyweight champion Issouhou Mouhaman who competes in the men’s 51kg category.

The selection was relegated to settling for the disappointing ranking on the final classification after massively underperforming on the final days of the competition which concluded on Sunday.

Seven Cameroonian boxers lost their bouts in the finals of the tournament, with five of the losses coming in on the second day. This was in deep contrast to the dominance that the team demonstrated in the early stages of the tournament when it authoritative registered five successive victories on the opening day.

Cameroon international, Moudjongoue Odette, who entered the tournament as one of the country’s biggest medal hopefuls, was notably beaten 3-2points in her women’s flyweight category fight DR Congo’s Benedicte Diyoka. 

Lenou Balemaken Victoire suffered a more disappointing 5-0points loss on the hands of DR Congo’s Merveille Mbalayi in the women’s 70kg series. 

Despite the challenging run that the Cameroonian boxers registered in the Libreville tournament, the athletes are expected to build on the positives of the competition as they brace for forthcoming bigger challenges.

According to Cameroonian boxing stakeholders, the boxers are expected to build on the momentum of the tournament as they look to compete in the forthcoming 2026 African Boxing Championships. 

The continental championships will be held in a yet to be announced country in October this year, bringing together some of Africa’s finest elite boxers. 

The Interim President of International Boxing Association Africa, Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo, confirmed the development in a media outing at the end of the Central African zonal tournament.

Ilunga Luyoyo said the Libreville showpiece “was a dress rehearsal for our Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships in October.”

The interim head of the African boxing governing body said plans are underway to “stage a well-attended, best-ever tournament with prize money for the boxers”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3842 of Thursday July 09, 2026