Nigeria’s football heroes have united in support of boxing champion Anthony Joshua following Monday’s devastating car crash in Makun, Ogun State, that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.
Joshua was involved in the accident but sustained only minor injuries and was transported to a Lagos hospital for treatment. Tragically, he lost two close companions, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, in the incident.
Speaking after the Super Eagles‘ commanding 3-1 victory over Uganda, team talisman Victor Osimhen expressed the squad’s grief over the tragedy.
“It’s devastating news,” Osimhen said. “He’s been one of the huge celebrities that put Nigeria on the map. He’s done it for so many years. Something like this affected a lot of Nigerians. Condolences to the families of the deceased. It’s not a beautiful thing to lose a life.”
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi offered heartfelt sympathy to the boxing star and expressed hope for his recovery.
“Man, it was a difficult one,” Ndidi shared. “When we heard he lost his family, it was really sad. I hope he can recover from that. I wish him strength, and to his family and the families of the guys who died as well.”
Teammate Bright Osayi-Samuel also conveyed his shock at the incident.
“It wasn’t great, especially as it happened back home as well,” he said. “Thankfully he (Joshua) was okay. It’s tragic to hear that two of his friends died. We just hope he gets better.”
The driver of the vehicle has been discharged from Duchess International Hospital in Lagos and is currently providing his statement to authorities, according to Nigerian Police Force spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the update on Wednesday.
Joshua remains hospitalized as he recovers physically and processes the emotional trauma, Sky Sports reporter Andy Scott revealed.
“AJ is still in hospital, under surveillance and recovering. I have reached out privately to their team. But at the moment it’s very difficult for everyone,” Scott reported. “With stories like this, social media is a blessing and a curse – there’s lots of details out there but also some false information. I’ll refrain from speculating other than saying Joshua is going to need a hell of a lot of time and space to process this physically and mentally. It’s very difficult to put into words or even try to imagine what he’s going through at the moment.”
Adedamola Joshua, the uncle of Anthony Joshua’s father, described the shock rippling through the family and community.
“All the people are very close with him (Anthony Joshua) and he is very free among the people. So it was a great shock for us,” he said.
Preliminary investigations suggest the vehicle suffered a tyre burst, possibly caused by excessive speed, which led to a loss of control.
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