Anthony Joshua health update as injured boxing legend to remain in hospital after horror crash killed two close friends

ANTHONY Joshua’s injuries in the deadly car crash that killed two of his close friends are not as bad as first feared.  The British boxing legend, 36, will have to remain in hospital for a few more days as he continues to recover after the horror collision in Nigeria.

A source close to Joshua has told The Sun that his injuries aren’t as severe as first feared but that he will continue to be looked after in an undisclosed hospital for at least a few more days.

The exact nature of his injuries remain unclear with doubts being cast over if he will ever return to a boxing ring – especially amid rumours of a £100m mega-fight with Tyson Fury.

Joshua was travelling on the notoriously dangerous Lagos-Ibadan highway on Monday afternoon in a chauffer-driven Lexus SUV when it crashed into a stationary truck at a high speed.  While Joshua escaped the mangled wreck of the car, two of his closest friends died at the scene.

Childhood friend Latif Ayodele and trusted fitness guru Sina Ghami were both travelling with the boxing superstar when they hit the truck which was parked on the side of the highway.

Latif and Sina, who were sitting on the same side of the Lexus, are believed to have died instantly while Joshua in the backseat and the driver survived the heavy impact.  AJ was hauled from the car in front of dozens of locals who witnessed the fatal smash.

Shocking footage shows concerned onlookers helping the wounded star from the Lexus as the Brit gingerly pushes his way off seats strewn with shattered glass.  He is believed to have then been escorted through the crowd and taken past the bodies of his two close friends who were on the ground.

Investigations into what caused the fatal collision are ongoing.  Nigerian authorities said the Lexus was believed to have been travelling “beyond the legally prescribed speed limit and lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre”.

Other reports suggested the car was hit by a tyre blowout moments before it crashed.  Tragic final videos of Joshua’s close friends taking to the road in the doomed Lexus SUV just hours before they died have since been revealed.

Latif and Sina filmed themselves shortly after landing in Nigeria as they jumped in a car and drove away from the airport.  The pair were a huge part of “Team AJ”.

Latif, a personal trainer who goes by Healthy Mindset online, was an old friend of Joshua’s – stretching back long before his superstar boxing career.  His first post on Instagram featured Joshua back in 2015 after he won his first world title against Charles Martin.

Hours before the crash, the boxer posted a video on Instagram of them playing table tennis.  A shirtless and shoeless AJ can be seen laughing and smiling in the short clip which he shared with his 18 million followers.

Originally Kevin Ayodele, played football for Aylesbury United, Tooting & Mitcham United, Hillingdon Borough, AFC Hayes, Chalfont Wasps and Northwood.  But he converted to Islam and went by the name Latif Ayodele and Abdul Latif – AKA Latz.

Sina was known as Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach.  He was even in the boxer’s corner for the Jake Paul fight in Miami on December 19 when AJ knocked out the YouTuber in the Netflix mega-fight.

The three men were all on a holiday together and were expected to stay in the West African nation for a week.  Joshua had flown overnight to Nigeria — hours after being spotted at a London club.

He has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State, and has a tattoo of Africa on his right shoulder.  A fifth person involved in the crash was understood to be the driver of the parked truck.

They were left uninjured.  Joshua was also being followed by a security convoy in a Mitsubishi Pajero but the car managed to stop in time with no one inside hurt.