Duncan Village veteran Yanga Sigqibo’s decision to continue with his boxing career could hit a snag when he flies out to Ghana on Tuesday for a continental title clash against Michael Abban on Sunday.
The 32-year-old will be trying to revive his floundering career when he contests for the WBA Pan African junior-bantamweight belt against an opponent nine years his junior.
The odds are not only stacked against him, but the atmosphere in Ghana is not conducive to a smooth boxing match as the country’s sport administration is in crisis.
A 30-member group of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), the governing body of professional boxing in the country, has petitioned the structure to convene an extraordinary congress to elect a committee to oversee the election of a new board.
The group has demanded that the committee’s election takes place on August 11.
Professional boxing was suspended in Ghana in October 2025 after the death of two boxers in the space of seven months, plunging the sport into turmoil.
An interim management committee for the GBA was put in place, with its term ending in April before later being extended to June.
Despite the administration crisis, Ghana, renowned as one of the best boxing nations on the continent, has continued to hold tournaments, with the Sigqibo-Abban bout forming part of “The Spirit Fight Night” event at the Complex Pokuase in Accra.
However, Sigqibo’s camp sees the bout as ideal to breathe life into his career.
This was put into uncertainty after he spent days in hospital following an 11th-round knockout loss to Ricardo Malajika in an IBO junior-bantamweight title challenge in August 2024.
He took a year-long break and changed trainers by dumping Thembani Gopheni to join Mzamo Njekanye, who facilitated his ring return against Tanzanian Msabaha Salum Msabaha in August 2025.
A listless Sigqibo eventually overwhelmed the Tanzanian with a sixth-round stoppage, returning to winning ways.
After another year’s hiatus mostly due to a lack of a dedicated promoter after Njekanye severed ties with Ground Up Sports, Sigqibo is seeking career resurrection in Ghana, aware of the pitfalls awaiting him.
“His career could be on the line if he does not grab this opportunity with both hands,” Njekanye said.
Sigqibo will need to beat the odds and the opponent, who is rated as one of Ghana’s best prospects with just one loss in 15 bouts with 10 stoppages.
“We will need to work extra hard to beat him, but Yanga has the style to beat any opponent if he puts his mind and heart into it,” Njekanye said.
Sigqibo, who was heavily favoured against Malajika, has not looked like the young boxer who was tipped as a future world champion, though he still boasts an impressive fight record of just three losses and a draw with 19 wins.
