Anthony Joshua gets emotional as boxing star pays tribute to his two close friends killed in a car crash in new video, a month on from tragic accident in Nigeria, and thanks public for support
Anthony Joshua was emotional as he took to social media to thank the public for their support and pay tribute to his friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele following the tragic car crash in Nigeria in December.
Joshua’s longtime strength coach Ghami and his personal trainer Ayodele (both 36) have been close friends of the boxing star since childhood.
The couple died in a car accident near Lagos late last year. Their funerals were held at a mosque in London on 4 January.
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 honor the two men.
Taking to social media, Joshua said: ‘When I last spoke to you in Miami, we had a lot of plans to get through 2025. We went home to see our families and everything went downhill.
‘This was an unforeseen situation that was beyond our control. And it wasn’t just their parents, uncles, cousins, friends and I who lost two great men. We lost people that we really cared about, the big actors in our lives, the big, big actors in our lives. Difficult. It’s really hard.
Anthony Joshua pays emotional tribute to late friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, one month after tragic car crash in Nigeria
Joshua is seen with his friends Latif Ayodele (center) and Sina Ghami, who died in the accident
Joshua captured the moments of the tragic accident on a major road outside Lagos
‘I’m not going to sit here and show all my emotions. I know in today’s age it is easy to analyze and judge people but I know what I think and how I feel.
‘I know what my duty is. They were my brothers, and above all, my friends. Then we became business partners, we became con artists, we became generals, we became everything. We became roommates living together.
‘You know, I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost anyone on this journey. It’s like you think I’m the big guy, but I was walking with the giants. Protected.
Joshua also reiterated his commitment to taking care of the families of his friends Ghami and Ayodele.
He said: ‘My goal is to help their families and help them achieve their goals, even if they are not physically here. I will offer my prayers and help them realize their dreams for their families. I’m not the only one helping. A whole team is working on this.’
He continued: ‘There’s a whole system that will help them realize their legacy, help them realize their dreams. But I know what I’m doing in my corner of the world, and I know what we’ll do to keep going there.
‘I will do what is right for their family. It’s about what’s important to me and they are very important players, a very important team, very important friends and I have two brothers.
‘So yeah, I don’t think I’m talking about love and appreciation. All of this is accepted by me, by them, by their families. We accept 1000’s of them 100 percent, perhaps going to the millions around the world who show so much love for both. I still can’t get my head around it.
‘We heard you all, we saw the messages, tweets, social media, YouTubes, prayers, all accepted. So yes, we know what to do. ‘Mumma Latz, Mumma Sina, Pappa Latz, Pappa Sina, one love.’
Earlier this month, Joshua shared a photo of himself standing next to (left to right) Sina Ghami’s sister, Latif Ayodele’s mother, Sina’s mother and his own mother ahead of the funeral.
Anthony Joshua also photographed with Kevin Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele’s father
The accident occurred in December at a major road outside Lagos, while Ghami and Ayodele were with Joshua in Nigeria shortly after his victory over Jake Paul in Miami.
Local reports said their vehicle collided with a stationary heavy-duty truck in the early morning hours. Unfortunately, both men died in the accident.
News of the accident sent shockwaves through the boxing community, where both men are widely known and respected figures.
Ghami worked alongside 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 and later became his personal trainer.
Their remains were then repatriated to the United Kingdom, where AJ, his 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 ceremony, Joshua shared a touching photo on Instagram of himself sitting next to his mother and the families of Ghami and Ayodele, holding a framed photo of Ghami.
AJ wrote ‘My Brothers’ Keeper’ under the photo. This well-known expression is used when someone wants to show that they will support and care for others for which they accept responsibility.
Tributes, prayers and ‘heartfelt condolences were offered’ in the comments of the post.
Ghami worked alongside Joshua for years as an S&C coach and sports rehabilitation specialist, while Ayodele was a constant presence during his childhood and later became his PT.
Joshua returns to boxing training by sharing footage of sessions earlier this month
Eddie Hearn, who has worked with Joshua since he turned professional in 2013, said the former champion may choose to return to the sport in memory of his late friends.
Joshua recently returned to training, posting photos of himself in the gym in mid-January, describing it as “mental strength therapy”. In the posts, he was seen shadow boxing, riding an exercise bike and swimming.
His boxing future understandably remained uncertain during his period of mourning, with those close to him stressing the importance of giving him time and space to grieve.
Joshua’s manager Eddie Hearn, who has worked with him since he turned professional in 2013, said the former champion may choose to return to the sport in memory of his late friends.
“He’s a very positive guy,” Hearn told Daily Mail Sport in New York ahead of Teofimo Lopez’s clash with Shakur Stevenson this weekend. ‘I was with him in Dubai and he was training there.
‘I think sometimes people misunderstand it as combat training. Not in camp. Overcoming his injuries, he trains for his mental health as well as his physical health. This is something he has always done and will continue to do.
‘There is no doubt that it was a painful time for him, as it was for many people close to Sinai and Latz. But his love for boxing will always make him want to get back in the ring. It may be the case that he wants to fight in their honor. We’ll see if this happens. ‘When the time is right it will come from Anthony.’
