Anthony Joshua will remain in hospital in Nigeria over the New Year period with police confirming the car crash that killed two of his close friends was caused by a tyre blowout.
The former heavyweight champion was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that crashed into the back of a stationary vehicle on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun, Nigeria on Monday.
Joshua was pulled from the wreckage and is in a stable condition. Two other passengers, Joshua’s friends and members of his training team Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, were killed instantly.
Joshua has since been transferred to one of Nigeria’s best hospitals, the Duchess International Hospital in Lagos. The Daily Mail report he will remain in their care for at ‘least a couple more days’ as he continues his recovery.
Images and video footage showed the devastating aftermath of the crash that left the black Lexus totalled.
Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi of Nigeria’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) explained on Tuesday early investigations showed the Lexus had been travelling along the highway from Lagos to Sagamu when it ‘experienced a tyre burst due to excessive speed’ and then ‘lost control’.
Joshua was sat in the backseat of the Lexus, directly behind the driver who also survived the devastating crash.
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Lanre Ogunlowo, Commissioner of Ogun State Police, told reporters Joshua remained in a ‘stable’ condition after being taken to hospital and is not expected to require surgery on his injuries.
Joshua’s mother Yeta Odusanya is also reported to have rushed to his bedside. AJ’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, meanwhile has spoken out about the stress the extended family has been through in their attempts to track down the Olympian.
Who were Anthony Joshua’s friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami?
Throughout his time in boxing, Anthony Joshua has kept a close-knit circle of friends and associates around him, plenty of those working silently behind the scenes during his ascent to the summit of the sport.
Both Ghami and Ayodele were part of that group, considered good friends having worked closely with him for years.
Who is Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele?
‘Latz’ is a long-time friend of Joshua’s and has been part of the AJ team going all the way back to his maiden world title victory over Charles Martin in 2016.
Ayodele was Joshua’s personal trainer and a dedicated Muslim having converted to Isam in 2012.
His Instagram feed is littered with images and videos of him alongside Joshua in the gym and relaxing away from it.
Just hours before the crash, he shared a video on Instagram of him and Joshua smiling and laughing over a game of table tennis.
Latif worked with a number of other prominent sports men and women with New Zealand rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams among those paying tribute.
According to his Facebook profile, he attended St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth, a few miles from Joshua’s hometown of Watford.
Who is Sina Ghami?
Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, a role he held for more than a decade.
He was also the co-founder of Evolve Gym in London. Their website states Ghami was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.
Ghami was at Joshua’s side throughout his career, including his crowning moment against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017.
His last Instagram story appeared to be a shot of Joshua’s motorcade through Lagos.
‘Since the incident happened we have been rallying round to see if it is possible to get to see our son but that has been impossible because of his status, we don’t know the hospital he was taking to,’ he said.
‘However, we have been in touch with his father and mother who are also in Nigeria and they have assured us that Joshua is fine.’
Tributes have continued to flood in for Ayodele and Ghani, who worked right by Joshua’s side for over a decade and were considered key members of his tightly-knit team that enjoyed so much success together.
Just hours before the crash, Joshua had shared a video with his followers on social media that showed him enjoying a game of table tennis with Ayodele, who was affectionately known as ‘Latz’ to close friends.