Windhoek
Fireworks are expected when Namibia’s most exciting boxer, Immanuel “Prince” Naidjala, returns to the ring to try and grease his itchy palms with the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan Africa Interim Bantamweight title against South African opponent Cebo Ngema.
Naidjala returns to his happy hunting grounds, the Windhoek Country Club, tomorrow night to confront the motor-mouth South African, whose equally impressive resumé includes nine wins, four defeats and two draws from 15 bouts in the paid ranks.
The two boxers were paraded in front of local media practitioners at a Windhoek hotel yesterday to gauge interest from the boxing-crazy locals. Sporting a new look gold-dyed hairstyle, Naidjala was his usual self, oozing confidence and saying he deliberately dyed his hair, because the gold colour reflects success.
“I always identify myself with good things and gold is one of them. But coming back to the real story let me first thank the MTC and the Boxing Academy for making this fight possible.” He added that is going to be a night full of action, because he has made a lot of sacrifices to be where he is today, not by default, but by choice and hard work.
“I have set up my own rules and those rules make up the winning mentality. When you come to somebody’s house, you have to obey those rules,” charged a highly confident Prince, to loud applause from the packed-to-the-rafters conference hall.
His equally confident opponent, Ngema, was not to be outdone, saying he did not come to Namibia to lose. “Obviously I’ve not watched Naidjala in action, but knowing his pedigree, he is somebody who has been there and seen it all, However, I’m more hungrier to win than him, because he has already tasted victory at that level.”
In the main supporting bout, unbeaten Namibian boxer, Julius ‘Blue Machine’ Indongo, will put his WBO Africa Junior Welterweight title at stake against South African challenger Zolani Marali over 12 rounds.
Marali is a veteran with 29 fights behind his belt, including five losses. In an all-Namibian affair, Sakaria ‘Desert Storm’ Lucas and Nathanael Kamati – both yet to taste defeat – will square off for the vacant WBA Pan Africa Featherweight title in what promises to be 12 rounds of blood, sweat and tears.