The best African boxers will test their skills against some of Europe's top fighters as Kalakoda Promotions and Kwesé Sports' Friday Fight Nights series head to the Hallman Dome in Vienna, Austria.
Team Africa is made up of ABU South and newly-crowned South African Heavyweight champion Ruann Visser, Cameroon's Cruiserweight prospect Lambert Fogoum, the 'Black Pearl' from Uganda, Patricia Apolot, and Vlad Sirenko, formerly of the Ukraine and now fighting out of his new home Johannesburg, South Africa.
The team originally included Tanzanian Yusuf Bangu, who was scheduled to take on Croatian-based Albanian Arlind Sulejmani for the WBO Youth World Title as the main event, but his visa application was denied.
"We are bitterly disappointed that Bangu failed to get his visa; I truly believe he would have returned to Tanzania a WBO youth world champion," says Jeremy Bean of Kalakoda Promotions.
"It is becoming tougher and tougher for African fighters to compete on the world stage with stricter immigration laws and borders closing up, but the show goes on and we have an African team that I believe will do well."
This team format has been an exploratory exercise, piloted by Kalakoda Promotions in 2017 with the UK vs Africa show in Manchester, which enjoyed much interest and success.
Team Africa captain Ruann Visser is fresh off a victory against Osbourne Machimane, and is looking to get some big wins against the next tier of world heavyweights to build his world ranking. He takes on a tough journeyman in Serbian Aleksandar Todorovis, who will ask some tough question of the young African Heavyweight prospect.
Visser's stablemate Vlad Sirenko has now permanently relocated to South Africa and brings a cosmopolitan flavour to Team Africa as one of the most exciting young heavyweights in world boxing. He squares up against Laszlo Toth of Hungary over eight rounds.
As per Kalakoda Promotions' commitment to promoting female boxing, Apolot has been included in the team. She is an accomplished kickboxer in her own right and has now made the shift to boxing. She takes on Sandra Zivkovic of Bosnia.
The 'French Connection' in Lambert Fogoum completes Team Africa. The Cameroonian is a decorated African Games participant and is a young pro to watch in the Cruiserweight division. He is matched against Albania's Djorde Djoric over six rounds.
The event will be broadcast live on Kwesé Free Sport, Kwesé Sports 1 Soweto TV Channel 251, as well as being streamed on FB live and on the Kwesé Free Sports Mobile App.