Ghana’s Olympic hero Samuel Takyi is bracing for the biggest test of his professional career as he squares off with Nigeria’s teenage knockout sensation Fatiu Ijomoni for the WBO Youth Lightweight title in Lagos this Wednesday, October 1.

For Takyi, 24, it is more than a chance to capture his first professional belt. The bout at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary represents a golden platform to showcase his rapid development since relocating to the United Kingdom in June. 

Training out of London’s renowned IQ Boxing Gym under UK-based Ghanaian promoter Michael Amoo-Bediako, Takyi insists he has sharpened both his fitness and his ring craft for this defining night.

Ijomoni, just 19, has taken Nigerian boxing by storm this year. Since turning professional in January, the national champion has fought virtually every month, racking up 11 straight victories — all by knockout.

In just 24 rounds of action, he has left opponents battered, most notably dismantling Toheeb Kehinde inside two rounds to claim the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control Lightweight title in June.

Despite the hype surrounding the teenage prodigy, the confident Takyi is unfazed and under no illusions about the task at hand. He knows what it takes to win on Nigerian soil, having scored a first-round demolition of Samuel Moses in Lagos back in 2022 — only his second pro fight at the time. That memory fuels his confidence going into Wednesday’s clash.

"I am ready for this fight; this is a second step for my career, and I'm eager to take any chance. I am going there to win, this is my time to shine," Takyi told the Graphic Sports via phone from Lagos.

"A very big thanks to my management team, my family and all those who support me. Very soon, Ghana is going to have a world champion again. Samuel Takyi is the next Azumah Nelson and soon."

The Ghanaian bronze medallist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has never been short on self-belief, but this time the stakes are real. Victory in Lagos will not only crown him a youth world champion but could also fast-track his climb into the sport’s elite.

Defeat, however, would stall his momentum against one of Africa’s most dangerous young punchers.

Meanwhile, two other Ghanaian fighters will also feature on the undercard of the Balmoral Group and Amir Khan’s AK Promotions show.

The colourful Elvis Ahorgah is lined up for a six-round super middleweight clash with Dossou Faustin Houenou of Benin, while Akimos Annang Ampiah, 29, takes on Nigeria’s Yusuf Adisa Adeniji in an eight-round featherweight contest.