- Two close friends of Anthony Joshua, personal trainer Abdul Latif Ayodele and coach Sina Ghami, died in a car crash in Lagos.
- Tributes have poured in online, highlighting Ayodele’s strong Islamic faith and his charitable work. A fundraiser is underway to build a mosque and borehole in his memory.
Two close friends of Anthony Joshua, Abdul Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, have died after a road accident in Lagos, Nigeria. Both men were part of Joshua’s inner circle. Sina was his strength and conditioning coach. Ayodele was Joshua’s personal trainer. Joshua was also involved in the crash and is in a stable condition in hospital in Nigeria.
The collision took place on Monday on a busy section of the Lagos–Ibadan expressway. Local media said the vehicle carrying Joshua and his friends struck a stationary truck.
The heavyweight boxer had returned to Nigeria after an exhibition match in which he defeated YouTuber Jake Paul on Netflix a few weeks earlier. It was his first appearance after more than a year away from the ring. He had travelled home to spend the New Year with family when the accident occurred.
Abdul Latif was born Kevin Ayodele and converted to Islam in 2012. He later adopted the name Abdul Latif, often known as Latz.
Ayodele was very well known in the Muslim community and had appeared on Muslim podcasts such as Da Bridge and Freshly Grounded.
Sina was also Muslim from an Iranian background.
Faith was central to Abdul Latif’s identity and he often shared thoughts about his spiritual journey online. In a pinned Instagram post from October 2020 he wrote, “Finding Islam in 2012 has been my biggest blessing Alhamdulilah. It allowed me to meet so many good brothers Muslim and none Muslim and build a strong brotherhood. Allah has truly blessed me in this Dunya and will be forever grateful Alhamdulilah.”
Social media has been flooded with tributes following confirmation of the deaths of Ayodele and Ghami. Figures from the sporting world and prominent Muslims expressed condolences to their families and to Joshua. Joshua has previously spoken openly about his bond with Islam and with Muslim friends, saying the faith has had an important influence on his life.
Ayodele had previously raised funds for Spot Project, a Muslim charity that supports orphans in The Gambia. Ayodele regularly visited schools, orphanages, mosques and other facilities being built by the charity.
Spot project is currently raising funds in order to build a mosque and a borehole as Sadaqah Jariyah for brother Abdul Latif Ayodele. You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking the link here.
