Anthony Joshua broke down 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 close friends who had known him since childhood – were involved in a fatal road traffic collision near Lagos late last year. Their funerals were held on January 4 at a mosque in London.
The former heavyweight champion has kept a low profile since the tragedy but returned to social media on Thursday evening to express his gratitude for the messages of support and to honour the two men who played central roles in his career and life.
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.
Joshua also reaffirmed his commitment to looking after the families of his friends, Ghami and Ayodele. He said: ‘My goal is to continue help them achieve their goals (for their families)’.
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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 in the early hours of the morning. 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.’
