Boxing: Two rival African championships in October 2026, in Nairobi then Kinshasa

African boxing finds itself with two elite continental championships in the single month of October 2026, organized by two rival bodies. Nairobi kicks things off from October 12 to 22 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena with the first edition of the African Championships under the aegis of African Boxing, which is affiliated with World Boxing, reports Citizen Digital. Kinshasa follows from October 18 to 31 at the Martyrs Stadium gymnasium, under the authority of the IBA.

Kenya bets big at home

Kenyan head coach Musa Benjamin has selected 39 boxers for the Nairobi event: 28 men and 11 women, including 19 newcomers to the national team, according to Citizen Digital. The delegation is led by captain Boniface "The Hammer" Mogunde, the reigning African champion, and includes veterans such as Shaffi Bakari, an international since 2017 and a silver medalist at the 2019 African Games, and Robert Okaka, a two-time continental bronze medalist and the first Kenyan in 43 years to reach the quarterfinals of the IBA World Championships.

Kinshasa confirms its status as a stronghold

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is the Congolese Boxing Federation (FCB) that is organizing the event. Its deputy secretary general, Pierre Abongi, confirmed that "the African Nations Championships are scheduled from October 18 to 31, 2026" at the Martyrs Stadium gymnasium, according to Strong2Kin Moov. Kinshasa had already hosted the 21st edition in 2024. Certification sessions for officials, for two- and three-star international referees, are planned on the sidelines of the competition.

Federations forced to choose

For the boxers, the schedule poses a real problem: the two events overlap. Algeria is considering sending representatives to both, according to its national coach Khaled Harima, quoted by Planète Sport, who says he wants to increase the number of fights for his athletes. The Algerian team held a training camp from September 21 to 30, 2026, in Fouka, in the Tipaza province.

Behind this double bill lies a power struggle that goes beyond Africa: World Boxing and the IBA have been fighting for control of Olympic boxing for several years. Citizen Digital notes that African Boxing was created to guide boxers toward the Olympic Games. It is therefore African athletes, often from federations with limited resources, who must choose between two tickets, two titles, and two paths to Los Angeles 2028.

The titles distributed in Nairobi and Kinshasa will have the same sporting value for those who step into the ring. It remains to be seen which one will count, in the future, for the Olympic movement.