Mustapha Moussa was an Algerian light-heavyweight boxer who enjoyed success during the 1980s. In 1983 Moussa won gold at the Mediterranean Games in Casablanca, earning himself a spot on the Olympic team. At the 1984 Los Angeles Games he beat Drake Thadzi (MAW) and Tony Wilson (GBR) before losing to the eventual gold-medallist Ante Josipović (YUG) in the semi-finals. The semi-final loss meant that he won bronze to become the first Algerian to win an Olympic medal. Moussa’s compatriot Mohamed Zaoui also won bronze in boxing on the same day when he lost in the semi-finals of the middleweight competition.
Moussa then won gold at the 1985 Pan Arab Games, followed by silver at the 1987 African Games, before turning professional in 1988. His career as a pro, however, was inauspicious, with him losing his début fight in July, along with his second contest a few months later. His professional career was sporadic, with him only getting in the ring on two more occasions, once in June 1992 and once in January 2004, losing both bouts. Moussa died in August 2024 following a road accident he was in a month earlier.
Algeria