Joshua still grieving friends lost in accident

British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua says he is still trying to deal with the loss of two close friends. They were part of his team and died in an accident. This comes as he prepares for his first fight since their deaths, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele died when the vehicle they were in, along with Joshua and a driver, crashed into a parked truck on a major road near Lagos, Nigeria, on December 29, 2025.

Joshua, who had minor injuries from the crash, is set to fight Kristian Prenga on Saturday. This will be his first match since knocking out American boxer Jake Paul just ten days before the accident.

“It is tough, every time I think about it, it hurts. Even talking about it now, pictures, it hurts, but I keep my mind occupied. If I stop, you let it sink in, and I am not ready for it to sink in yet,” Joshua told the BBC.

Ghami had worked as Joshua’s full-time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach for over ten years. Ayodele was a personal trainer and a long-time friend of Joshua.

Just hours before the crash, Joshua shared a video on Instagram of himself playing table tennis with Ayodele.

Saturday’s fight against Prenga will mark Joshua’s first competitive match since losing by knockout to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024. The 36-year-old boxer admitted he feels a bit nervous before returning to the ring.

“It is competition at the highest level. I want to perform for my team, I want to make them proud and make myself proud. It is a balance of nerves, but I understand what my job is. I have a lot of understanding and clarity on what I have to do,” he added.

Fans are still eager for a long-awaited fight between Joshua and British rival Tyson Fury later this year. This depends on both fighters winning their matches this weekend.

Fury is scheduled to fight Poland’s Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday. This match is seen as his last before he faces Joshua.

A day later, Joshua will take on Albania’s Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The time gap between their fights might allow Fury to attend Joshua's match. Joshua had turned down Fury’s invitation to face him in the ring after Fury's victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April. He mentioned that a face-off might happen soon.

“I am not overlooking Prenga. This is a big deal for me, this fight. God willing, everything works out. If it is not Saturday night where we face off, it will be within the next four to six weeks,” Joshua said.