Ghana and Nigeria’s national boxing teams are set to clash in an international friendly tournament in Accra as part of preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The bilateral competition, which is intended to assess the readiness of boxers from both countries ahead of the Glasgow Games, will take place on Thursday, May 7, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In accordance with Commonwealth Games regulations, the competition will feature seven male boxers competing across the approved weight divisions. The female category will include three bouts in the 54kg, 57kg and 71kg divisions.
The Nigerian team has already arrived in Accra for the two-day event.
The President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), Alhaji Dauda Fuseini, and the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Babatunde Laguda, have both described the initiative as an effective platform to assess the preparedness of boxers ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Laguda said the international friendly tournament comes at the right time, especially as Nigeria’s boxers are currently in camp in Lagos preparing for the Games.
“The Ghana friendly tournament is the right step at this stage of preparations. Our boxers are in camp ahead of the Commonwealth Games, and participating in this international friendly will expose them to a more competitive environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, NBF Vice President Omonlei Imadu disclosed that the federation is also in advanced talks with two other countries to arrange additional friendly bouts in the coming weeks.
“As part of preparations for the Glasgow Games, we are finalising discussions with two other countries for international friendly bouts. The goal is to give our boxers the best possible preparation before the Games begin in July,” Imadu stated.
Boxing continues to be Ghana’s strongest medal-winning sport at major international competitions, particularly the Commonwealth Games, where it has produced 35 of the country’s total 62 medals since Ghana first participated in 1951.
At the most recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, boxing accounted for three of Ghana’s five medals. Abraham Mensah, competing in the Bantamweight (54kg) division, and Joseph Commey in the Featherweight (67kg) category both won silver medals, while Abdul Wahid Omar claimed bronze in the Lightweight (60kg) division.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.