Sandra Almeida and Esther Phiri to settle decades-old score in high-stakes rematch

Sandra Almeida, the trailblazing first South African female boxer to turn professional, is officially coming out of retirement.

She is set to step back into the ring to settle a long-standing score with Zambia’s Esther Phiri in a highly anticipated rematch.

The bout, scheduled for 27 March 2026, serves as a charity boxing event in Zambia.

The card will also feature "explosive" female fighters from South Africa, Malawi, Congo, and Zimbabwe. For Almeida, now 43, the return to the ring is less about professional standing and more about the spirit of the sport.

“Nobody goes into a fight at this age usually; it's a rare thing, and so it's just such an adventure for me,” Almeida told Eyewitness News. “I get to go back in there and fight this girl who feels she was robbed. I feel bad for her that she felt robbed, you know.”

THE CONTROVERSY OF 2015
The rivalry dates back to a world title fight in 2015 that ended in a controversial draw.

While Phiri’s camp felt the decision was incorrect, Almeida maintains that the judges were right. She recalled being told by observers that her superior boxing techniques made her the favourite to beat Phiri.

However, Almeida revealed a startling secret regarding that original match: she fought while suffering from a significant concussion.

THE "PILLAR" INCIDENT
Almeida recounted an improbable accident that occurred during the media buildup to the first fight. After an aggressive prompt from her coach to finish interviews and rest, Almeida turned toward an elevator with such speed that she collided head-first with a structural pillar in the conference room.

“I hit it so hard that I fell on my bum and dropped my water bottle. The impact was so hard that I actually had a concussion,” she admitted. Fearing the loss of her R68,000 purse money, which she desperately needed at the time, she kept the injury a secret.

Despite being unable to sleep and battling the effects of the concussion, she fought the following day.

During the bout, Phiri landed a strike on a blood blister on Almeida's eyebrow, causing it to burst, though Almeida says she felt little pain at the time.

FIGHTING FOR A NEW PURPOSE

Now facing Phiri again, with Phiri aged 38 and Almeida 43, the South African athlete is driven by more than just the result. She cited financial reasons, a desire to be a role model for her children, and a mission to uplift young girls in a "discouraging, lonely sport" as her primary motivations.

“I want to really motivate people not to quit, especially those who have a heart for boxing,” Almeida said. “I want to show people that your dreams don't have to end when you become a mother or when life is full of challenges.”

Ultimately, Almeida is embracing the "adventurous spirit" that defined her early career. “I am just so damn curious to see which one of us is going to survive,” she concluded.