The bodies of two key members of British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua’s team, Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele and Sina Ghami, have been repatriated to the United Kingdom (UK), for burial after they died in a fatal road accident in Nigeria.
Ayodele and Ghami, both close aides within Joshua’s training circle, lost their lives in a car crash that occurred on Monday, 29 December, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway near Ogere in Ogun State. Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion, was also in the vehicle at the time and suffered minor injuries.
Eyewitnesses and police accounts indicated that the black Range Rover SUV conveying the boxer and his associates lost control, left the roadway and slammed into a stationary truck. Emergency officials confirmed that Ayodele, Joshua’s long-serving trainer, and Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, died instantly at the scene.
Joshua was pulled from the wreckage and taken to a private hospital in Lekki, Lagos, where he was treated for bruises and mild shock before being discharged two days later.
After his release, the 34-year-old boxer, accompanied by his mother and officials of the British High Commission, visited a Lagos funeral home to finalise arrangements for the return of the bodies. The remains of Ayodele and Ghami were flown out of Nigeria on Thursday, 1 January.
In a message released through his team, Joshua described the loss as a heartbreak beyond words, saying Ayodele and Ghami were brothers who gave everything to boxing and to him personally.
The tragedy has drawn widespread reactions from the global boxing community. Prominent promoter Eddie Hearn described the deaths as devastating for the entire Matchroom and Anthony Joshua’s family, while former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis called for prayers and support for Joshua as he recovers.
