British world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua praised Oleksandr Usyk for being bold in challenging him for his belts after just two bouts at the weight.

Joshua is set to face World Boxing Organization mandatory challenger Usyk in London on Saturday, with a crowd of some 60,000 expected at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the home of the Premier League club. 

Joshua, whose World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation titles are also on the line, compared Usyk’s lack of experience to boxing legend Evander Holyfield’s before tackling a heavyweight championship fight.

Usyk – who moved up to heavyweight in 2018 after being undisputed cruiserweight world champion — beat Chazz Witherspoon in 2019 before easing to a points win last November over veteran Derek Chisora.

“When (Evander) Holyfield came up to heavyweight I think he had six fights at heavyweight before he fought for the championship belt,” said Joshua.

“Usyk’s fought two heavyweights. He’s jumping in at the deep end early on.

“But good luck to him – he must believe in himself. He wants to be at the top end early. It’s better to swim deep – get in there and get on with it – rather than tread water.

“You could still end up drowning anyway. You could still get caught in a current and drown. You might as well jump in the deep end and try to survive.”

Joshua, at 31 three years younger than his fellow 2012 Olympic champion, is likely to weigh in on Friday a stone heavier than Usyk.

“I’ve been doing a lot of sparring to be honest, which is also physical: pushing, shoving, defending,” said Joshua.

“I’ve been doing heavy bag work so maybe I’m just shedding a lot of the weight.”

Joshua needs to beat Usyk to keep alive the bout that most boxing fans want to see above all else — the all-British clash with fellow world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

That is also dependent on World Boxing Council champion Fury successfully coming through a third bout with American Deontay Wilder in October.

However, although Joshua will be favoured to see off Usyk he says the bout will not be won on who is physically more impressive but who wins the battle of the minds.  

Advantages physically is one thing but it doesn’t make the world’s tallest man the heavyweight champion of the world,” said Joshua.

“You have to have the mental capacity to do what you do. He’s coming to the ring confident, and so am I.

“In boxing, you have to be aggressive and beat that confidence out of your opponent.

“It’s easy to watch on YouTube and watch from the outside but until you’re in front of someone it’s then a completely different ballgame.

“This is heavyweight boxing and I’m the heavyweight champion of the world. I don’t play games. I’m here to win.”

Two penalties and an own goal by defender Michelle Alozie conspired to hand South Africa’s Banyana Banyana victory over the Super Falcons in the final match of the maiden edition of Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos on Tuesday.

The incidences of penalties and own goal should take nothing away from the efficiency of the Banyana, beaten to the African title by the Falcons only after penalty shoot-out in Accra in 2018.

As a measure of the outright domination of their 2018 conquerors, the efficacious Thembi Kgatlana was not even among the goals. She worked hard on the wings and everywhere else taunting the Nigerian rear-guard but Linda Motlhalo, Gabriela Salgado and Mamello Makhabane were the scorers after Alozie’s clanger.

Youthful, skilful and ambitious, the Banyana looked like they could score with every onslaught on the Nigerian goal, and it took the introduction of four younger players into the Nigerian squad at the start of the second period for the fans to have something to cheer about their own team.

Kgatlana, with her pace, guile and invention, and Jane Refiloe, Melinda Kgadiete and Hildah Magaia left the nine-time African champions the worse for wear after a horrendous 45 minutes at the MJA.

France-based forward Desire Oparanozie was most awful on the evening, squandering a half-dozen opportunities, easily conceding possession and literally playing against her own team.

The bright lights for Nigeria as the climate became overcast in the second half were Gift Monday, Opeyemi Sunday and Vivian Ikechukwu, who all came into the game after half time and underscored boldly what youth might be able to speak to that the old guard might not.

Ikechukwu, like a house on fire, fought for every ball across the park, turned in a sweet cross by fellow substitute Gift Monday only two minutes into the second period to give Nigeria some hope, and crashed a vicious shot into the top corner of goalkeeper Kaylin Swart’s goal in the 53^rd minute as the arena rumbled.

The Super Falcons created chance after chance, but Oparanozie wasted them all, choosing a big day to put every foot wrong, and shockingly, lasting the entire 90 minutes on the park.

The new blood swept on the South African goal several times and showed hunger, great ball sense and sense of purpose, but the equalizer would not come. Instead, South Africa got a second penalty after Gloria Ogbonna tripped Motlhalo in the box with five minutes left. Makhabane made no mistake from six yards.

Victory meant South Africa emerged the best team of the tournament, and a statement was made that Nigeria should henceforth put her fate in the hands of young and glory-hungry players who still have much to look forward to.