“May God have mercy on my brothers”
Boxing star Joshua speaks out after his friends die
January 8, 2026 – 7:21 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Anthony Joshua reacts for the first time to the fatal car accident in Nigeria. In an emotional post, the boxer remembers his two long-time companions.
Former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua has spoken publicly for the first time about the fatal car accident in Nigeria in which his long-time companions Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami died. In an emotional Instagram post after his friends’ funeral, the 36-year-old Brit wrote: “It’s 100 percent hard for me, but I know it’s even harder for their parents. I’m mentally strong and believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”
Joshua himself escaped with minor injuries in the accident on December 29th. In his post, the 2012 Olympic champion reflected on the special significance of his late friends: “I didn’t realize how special they were. I just walked with them and joked with them, not knowing that God had brought me into the presence of great men.”
Police have charged the driver of the SUV in which the men were traveling near Lagos with “dangerous driving causing death”. The vehicle crashed into a stationary truck.
Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko in a spectacular fight in 2017. After that he dominated the heavyweight division at times, but then had to accept a number of setbacks. Most recently, he won an insignificant fight against influencer Jake Paul, which, however, earned him at least $30 million.