The boxing career of Duncan Village boxer Yanga Sigqibo continued to flounder after he lost in Ghana on Monday morning.
Fighting for the first time in over a year, Sigqibo was bidding to revive his career by travelling to Ghana for a WBA Pan African junior bantamweight title clash against local prospect Michael Abban.
However, it was not to be as Abban easily dominated the fight en route to a unanimous points victory. Scores were not revealed.
Sigqibo’s trainer Mzamo Njekanye confirmed that he came second best against the 23-year-old, who is nine years his junior.
“Abban controlled the fight and mostly outworked us in most of the rounds,” he said.
The loss was the fourth for the 32-year-old former SA junior bantamweight champion whose career has been on a downward spiral since escaping with a close points decision victory over Filipino Jerald Paclar in Gqeberha in 2021.
Though he put up a gusty display in a loss against three-division world champion Kosei Tanaka in a non-title fight in Japan in December 2022, Sigqibo was back to his worst when he challenged Ricardo Malajika for the IBO title two years later.
Favoured to win, he allowed Malajika to bully him around the ring before succumbing in the 11th round and subsequently rushed to hospital, where he spent time under observation with suspicion of a brain bleed.
But he was given the all clear to continue with his boxing career, beating an overmatched Tanzanian Msabaha Salum Msabaha after a year’s lay-off.
Njekanye declined to say if Sigqibo would continue with his career, which has transformed him into a journeyman.
“It is too early to take such decisions because the fight only took place a few hours ago,” he said.
“But Yanga did not embarrass himself in the fight.
“He had his moments, though the referee appeared to be protecting the local boy.”
The loss was the third for Sigqibo in his last five bouts, sounding alarm bells about his status as an elite fighter.
Abban stretched his record to 15 wins against a loss, with Sigqibo becoming his biggest victim, though his career trajectory is still undecided.