Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, north-east of Lagos.

According to officials five people were involved in the crash, but two died, while Joshua, the British boxer, was rescued alive with minor injuries, and two others were unhurt.

Matchroom Boxing confirmed that two other men who died in the crash, who were Anthony Joshua's friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele, his promoter.

It also confirmed that Joshua was taken to hospital for "checks and treatment" and is in a "stable condition and will remain there for observation".

Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn, chairman of Anthony Joshua's promoter company Matchroom, has paid tribute to Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele.

"With the heaviest of hearts," he posted on Instagram.

"Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone."

In the same vein, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu says he has spoken to Anthony Joshua to convey his condolences over the death of his two friends in a car crash near Lagos.

"I wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care," Tinubu posted on social media.

"I also spoke with his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the call," he added.

The BBC has said that the late Latif "Latz" Ayodele was Joshua's personal trainer.

Adding that his passion for the gym is clear on his social media pages, as is his dedication to Islam.

"Finding Islam in 2012 has been my biggest blessing," he wrote in a pinned post from 2020.

The late Sina Ghami on the other hand was Joshua's strength and conditioning coach for more than 10 years.

He also co-founded Evolve Gym in London, which says on its website that Ghami was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.

Sina Ghami had worked with athletes in the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and Michigan State University football team.

A long-discussed bout between Anthony Joshua and fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury had been floated for 2026.

Although the two boxers have never faced each other in a professional contest despite years of public interest and stalled talks, fresh hope had emerged that the blockbuster fight could take place late next year.

Joshua reignited the conversation earlier this month after defeating Jake Paul, publicly challenging Fury to step into the ring with him.

“Come and fight one of the ‘realest’ fighters out there. Step in there with me next if you’re a really bad boy,” Joshua said.

Fury, meanwhile, has not returned to the ring since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.