Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele died when the vehicle they were traveling in, along with Joshua and another passenger, collided with a stationary truck on a main road near Lagos.
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Joshua is stable and conscious and did not require emergency medical help, according to the Ogun State government.
Joshua’s promoters Matchroom offered their “deepest condolences and prayers” to the family and friends of Ghami and Ayodele, also known as ‘Latz’.
“It is with deep sadness that it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away,” a statement read.
“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony suffered injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.
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“Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected, and we ask that their privacy be respected at this incredibly difficult time.”
Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said: “With the deepest regret. Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My deepest thoughts and prayers are with everyone.”
Ghami was Joshua’s full-time exercise and sports rehabilitation coach and had worked with the 36-year-old for more than 10 years.
He helped the former heavyweight champion prepare for some of the biggest fights of his career, including his title-winning fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 and this month’s victory over Jake Paul.
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Ghami has also worked with former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Just hours before the accident, Joshua posted a video on Instagram of him playing table tennis with his old friend Ayodele, a personal trainer.
Boxing expert Steve Bunce described Ghami and Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends”.
“They have been with him, if not from the beginning, at least from the beginning. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.
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“He calls them his guys. They are more than that. They are friends. They may have strict jobs, they may be his strength and conditioning coach, his personal trainer, his dietitian, his nutritionist, but they are close and he loves that close circle.
“Sina and Latz are huge parts of the Anthony Joshua machine.”
Fellow boxer Chris Eubank Jr was among those who paid tribute to Ghami and Ayodele, calling them “genuinely good men”.
The British middleweight said: “Thank God our heavyweight champion survived that horrible car accident. And please pray for the two fallen soldiers, Latz and Sina, and their families. I knew them both, they were genuinely good men. Rest in peace guys.”
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Joshua was in Nigeria after stopping American YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight in Miami earlier this month.
Writing in X, Paul said: “Life is much more important than boxing. I pray for the lives lost, for AJ and for everyone affected by today’s unfortunate accident.”
Former New Zealand rugby star Sonny Bill Williams posted photos with Joshua and Latif, adding: “Rest easy brother Abdul Latif, may the Almighty make it easy for your loved ones.”
British bantamweight Shannon Courtenay said: “RIP Sina and Latz, two good guys. Last week we all had fun in Miami and today you are gone, life really is too short. May the Lord watch over your loved ones during this terrible time.”
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Video from the scene showed Joshua being helped out of the back seat of a large wrecked car.
In total, five adult men were involved in the accident, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said.
They added that Joshua and another man, the driver of the vehicle, were rescued by the boxer’s security team.
The incident involved two vehicles, a black Lexus and a stopped red commercial truck, and took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.
The FRSC said the Lexus was “suspected of traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit,” based on preliminary findings.
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He said the car appeared to have “lost control during an overtaking maneuver” and crashed into the truck stopped on the side of the road.
“The emotional impact of the accident is impossible to measure”
Joshua had just returned to the ring after over a year away, beating Jake Paul on Netflix in what was a huge payday, and was in Nigeria simply to spend the New Year with his family when this tragedy occurred.
The plan was for Joshua to fight again in Saudi Arabia in February before moving towards the much-talked-about fight against Tyson Fury later in 2026. But right now, those plans seem secondary.
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Joshua has lost two people close to him, friends first and foremost, including his long-time strength and conditioning coach Ghami, and the emotional impact of that is impossible to measure. Ghami was by his side throughout fight week in Miami and joined him in the ring after his victory over Paul.
Whatever he decides to do next in the twilight of his career almost seems insignificant, with the boxing world united in the hope that one of Britain’s most successful fighters will emerge from this ordeal in good health.