MZONKE Fana cannot afford to lose his World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African junior lightweight title against Themba Tshicila in Qumbu, Eastern Cape, on April 26, promoter S'Phatho Handi has warned.

That is because Handi, whose Mamali Boxing Promotion will stage the bout in Fana's birth- place, has already applied to the WBA's championship committee to sanction Fana for the vacant WBA International title.

"I have set July 26 as the date for that fight. That is how confident I am about Fana in his fight against Themba," said the East London-based promoter.

Handi said the venue is Tsolo Junction Hall, which is between Mthatha and Tsolo.

Fana, who relocated to Khayelitsha in the Western Cape when he was 12 years old, is now 40. Trained by accomplished yet humble-mannered Zola Koti, he has won the IBF junior lightweight championship twice.

He was virtually a nobody in boxing until he won that IBF belt from Malcolm "The Stone" Klassen at Oliver Tambo Sports Centre in Khayelitsha in 2007.

Fana spent the whole of 2011 idle. But he came back with a sixth-round stoppage of Vuyani Masondo in June 2012. Fana then failed to add the WBC International title to his collection when he lost to defending champion Sipho "Tsunami" Taliwe at Emperors Palace in September 2012.

Fana's first fight under Handi was against Takalani "The Panther" Ndlovu, a former multiple world champion, for the WBA Pan African title at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on September 21 last year. Fana won that bout via a unanimous points decision.

"Fana showed one thing in that fight - age is just a number," said Handi. "He was quicker and that usual hand speed was at work. Mzonke still has what it takes to become a world champion again. That is where I am steering him again.

"Look, Takalani is also my fighter. That he lost to Fana did not mean that I throw him away. In fact, Takalani will fight for the vacant WBA Pan African featherweight title against Koos Sibiya in East London on May 10."