Najib Daho’s Manchester Breakthrough
Born in Larache, Morocco, on January 13, 1959, Najib Daho moved to Manchester and built a long professional career in British boxing. Nicknamed “The Champ from the Casbah,” he won the British super-featherweight title in 1986 and the Commonwealth lightweight title three years later. He boxed professionally for sixteen years and faced leading opponents across the featherweight and lightweight divisions.
Daho turned professional in May 1977. After settling in England, he developed as a boxer in Manchester and worked his way through the British circuit. Among his notable early opponents was former world lightweight champion Ken Buchanan.
Daho’s two domestic titles came in different divisions and at different points in a career that began in 1977. He won the British super-featherweight belt in 1986, then moved up to lightweight and captured the Commonwealth title in 1989. Those achievements explain why his career is associated with both the British and Commonwealth championships, rather than a world-title reign. His boxing record remains rooted in the British circuit and the opponents he faced there (BoxerList profile).
British champion at super-featherweight
Daho captured the British super-featherweight championship in 1986 and held it until 1987. His reign included a defense before Pat Cowdell reclaimed the belt in October 1987. The title run established Daho among the leading British boxers at the weight.
A Commonwealth title in Manchester
Moving up to lightweight, Daho won the Commonwealth championship on May 31, 1989, stopping Pat Doherty in the eleventh round in Manchester. He defended it once, outpointing John Kalbhenn over twelve rounds that October. Carl Crook beat Daho on points on March 21, 1990, ending his reign. Crook stopped him in their 1991 rematch.
Daho’s career record was 34 wins, 25 losses and one draw, with 11 victories by knockout. He died in a traffic collision while visiting Morocco on August 29, 1993, aged 34. His story connects Larache and Manchester, where boxing historians continue to remember his rise to British and Commonwealth titles.
His career remains part of the history of boxing in Britain and the Commonwealth.
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Najib Daho, British Boxing, Commonwealth Lightweight, Manchester
