Gqeberha boxer Thembani ‘Guitarman’ Okolo seems to be out of tune after he failed to travel to Johannesburg on Sunday as per his contract ahead of Thursday’s fight against Bangile Nyangani.
Okolo, who is due to challenge current South African minimumweight champion Nyangani at the UFC Centre in Paulshof, Johannesburg, has ‘disappeared’ and none of his handlers know his whereabouts.
According to Okolo’s manager Ndumiso Fina, the boxer’s trainer Mzwandile Sidina has been up and down looking for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa minimumweight titlist, but has so far failed to locate him.
“Okolo trained here in Zinyoka and disappeared last Friday. We have not seen or heard from him since,” Fina said on Monday.
“He was supposed to have left for Johannesburg yesterday (Sunday). His trainer Sidina has been looking for him all over, but has not managed to find him. Okolo’s cellphone has been off since he disappeared on Friday.”
Okolo was due to have gone for a COVID-19 test and a pre-fight medical check up in Johannesburg on Monday.
Efforts to reach Okolo, who last fought when he stopped Phumlani Maloni in July, failed because his cellphone was still off while Sidina promised to come back to us.