Nigeria’s rising boxing talent, Zainab Adeshina, has advanced to the women’s 51kg final at the ongoing Islamic Games in Saudi Arabia, following a thrilling 4–1 victory over Fatiha Mansouri of Algeria on Sunday.
The intense bout, held at The Promenade – Art Tower, kept fans on edge as Adeshina battled from behind to secure her place in the gold medal fight. Despite a shaky start, the 21-year-old found her rhythm in the decisive third round, unleashing sharp combinations and using clever movement to outclass her Algerian rival.
Judges from Egypt, Iraq, Slovakia, and Australia ruled in favour of the Nigerian, while only the Puerto Rican official sided with Mansouri. The Australian judge awarded Adeshina a dominant 30–27 score, while the others returned close margins of 28–27, reflecting the tight nature of the contest.
Mansouri’s frustration showed as she picked up two warnings from referee Chang Yu-Ling of Taiwan, leading to point deductions that further tilted the decision towards Adeshina.
With her poise and persistence, Adeshina sealed a remarkable comeback and earned a shot at gold against Tunisia’s Rabia Topuz in Monday’s final.
Her campaign began with a convincing win in the quarter-finals last Thursday, followed by her hard-fought semi-final success on Sunday night.
Adeshina is representing Nigeria alongside Ridwan Raheem, who competes in the welterweight category, under the guidance of coach Abayomi Oyeleye. The Nigerian team arrived in Saudi Arabia last Monday for the sixth edition of the Islamic Games, which runs from November 7 to 21.
