Anthony Joshua got emotional as he took to social media to thank the public for their support and to pay tribute to his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, following the tragic car accident in Nigeria in December.
Joshua’s long-time strength coach Ghami and his personal trainer Ayodele – both 36 – had both been close friends of the boxing star since childhood.
The pair died in the road traffic collision near Lagos late last year. Their funerals were held on January 4 at a mosque in London.
Joshua has kept a low profile since the tragedy but the former heavyweight world champion returned to social media on Thursday evening to express his gratitude for the messages of support and to honour the two men.
Taking so social media, Joshua said: ‘The last time I spoke to you guys was in Miami, we had so many plans to wrap up 2025. We went home, to see our families and everything go flipped on it’s head.
‘That was such an unforeseen circumstance that was out of all of our control. And not only did their parents, their uncles, their cousins, their friends and myself, lose two great men. We lost people that we really care about have been major players in all of our lives, major, major players in all of our lives. It’s tough. It’s really tough.
‘I’m not gonna sit here and show all of my emotions. I know in today’s day and age, it’s easy to analyse people, pass judgment, but I know what I thought, and I know how I feel.
‘I know what my duty is. They were my brothers, my friends, first and foremost. Then we became business partners, we became hustlers, we became generals, we became everything. We became housemates, who were living together.
‘You know, I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost people throughout this journey that I’ve been on. It’s like you think I’m the big guy but I was walking with giants. Protected.
Joshua also reaffirmed his commitment to looking after the families of his friends, Ghami and Ayodele.
He said: ‘My goal is to help their families and to help them achieve their goals, even though they may not be here in the physical. I will be saying my prayers, and I’m going to help them fulfill their dreams for their families. It’s not only me though helping. There’s a whole team working on that stuff.’
He went on to add: ‘There is a whole system that will be helping fulfill their legacy, fulfill their dreams. But I know in my corner of the world, I know what I’m doing, and I know what we’re gonna do to continue there.
‘I’m gonna do what’s right by their family. It’s about what’s important to me, and they’re very important players, very important team, with very important friends and two of my brothers.
‘So yeah, I don’t think I’ve mentioned the love and appreciation. It’s all acknowledged by me, by them, by their families. 100 per cent we acknowledge the 1000s, maybe going into millions around the world that show so much love to them both. I still can’t get my head around it.
‘We heard you all, we saw the messages, the tweets, the social media, the YouTubes, the prayers, it’s all been acknowledged. So yeah, we know what we’re going to do. Mumma Latz, Mumma Sina, Pappa Latz, Pappa Sina, one love.’
The crash occurred in December on a major road outside Lagos while Ghami and Ayodele were spending with Joshua in Nigeria, shortly after his victory over Jake Paul in Miami.
Local reports said their vehicle was involved in a collision with a stationary heavy goods truck. Tragically, both men lost their lives in the accident.
News of the crash sent shockwaves through the boxing community, where both were widely known and respected figures.
Ghami had worked with Joshua for years as his strength and conditioning coach and sports rehabilitation specialist, while Ayodele had been a constant presence in his inner circle since childhood, later becoming his personal trainer.
Their bodies were later returned to the UK, where AJ, family, friends and members of the boxing world gathered for a joint funeral service at a mosque in London on January 4.
Shortly after the service, Joshua took to Instagram to share a poignant image of himself sitting alongside his mother and the families of Ghami and Ayodele, as they held a framed photograph of Ghami.
AJ captioned the image: ‘My Brothers Keeper’. The well-known phrase is used when someone wants to show they will support and care for others, who they accept responsibility for.
Tributes flooded the comments of the post, offering prayers and ‘heartfelt sympathy’.
Joshua has recently returned to training, sharing images of himself back in the gym in mid-January, which he described as ‘mental strength therapy’. The posts showed him shadowboxing, riding an exercise bike and swimming.
His boxing future has understandably remained uncertain during a period of mourning, with those close to him stressing the importance of giving him time and space to grieve.
His promoter Eddie Hearn, who has worked with Joshua since he turned professional in 2013, has said the former champion may choose to return to the sport in honour of his late friends.
‘He’s a very positive guy,’ Hearn told Daily Mail Sport in New York ahead of Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson this weekend. ‘I was with him in Dubai and he was training out there.
‘I think sometimes people misconceive that as training for a fight. He’s not in camp. He’s training to get over his injuries, and for his mental health as well as his physical health. It’s something he’s always done and will continue to do.
‘It’s a painful time for him, no doubt, as it is for many people close to Sina and Latz. But his love for boxing will always make him want to return to the ring. There could be a case of him wanting to fight on in their honour. Whether that happens, we’ll see. That will come from Anthony when the time is right.’
