Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Thursday paid a heartfelt tribute to two close friends who were killed in a car crash in Nigeria, describing them as “brothers” and “great men.”
Joshua sustained minor injuries in the December 29 accident and was discharged from hospital shortly afterwards. He later returned to England before travelling back to Nigeria to attend the funerals of the victims, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, last Sunday.
In an emotional post on X, Joshua reflected on the bond he shared with the men and the profound loss their deaths represent.
“Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they were. I would just be walking with them, cracking jokes, not knowing that God had placed me in the company of great men,” he wrote.
“It’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”
Ayodele, Joshua’s personal trainer, and Ghami, his long-time strength and conditioning coach, both died at the scene of the crash on December 29.
Nigerian police have charged the driver of the vehicle, 46-year-old Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, with dangerous driving causing death.
The accident occurred on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in southwest Nigeria, when the Lexus SUV in which the men were travelling crashed into a stationary truck.
Joshua, 36, who has family roots in Nigeria, was in the country on holiday following his victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.
