Victor Osimhen has expressed his condolences to heavyweight boxing star Anthony Joshua following a fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two people close to the former world champion.
Joshua was injured in the incident, which occurred earlier this week, while his friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, died after their vehicle collided with a stationary truck.
Speaking during Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Osimhen described the news as deeply painful, stressing Joshua’s importance to Nigeria’s global image.
“It’s devastating news,” the Super Eagles striker said in an interview with The Athletic. “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.”
Recall Joshua was assisted from the wreckage and taken to hospital, where he is being treated for minor injuries. His promoters, Matchroom, confirmed the 36-year-old is in a stable condition and will remain under observation.
Osimhen’s teammates also shared similar sentiments. Bright Osayi-Samuel described the incident as tragic, noting the emotional weight of it happening in Nigeria, while Wilfred Ndidi said the news cast a sombre mood over the squad.
“It was really sad,” Ndidi said. “I hope he can recover from that. I wish him strength, and to the families of those who died as well.”
The comments came after Nigeria’s 3-1 victory over Uganda, which sealed a perfect group-stage record at AFCON 2025. Paul Onuachu opened the scoring before Raphael Onyedika struck twice in quick succession, with Uganda pulling one back late on.
The Super Eagles finished top of Group C and will now shift focus to the knockout rounds, though the mood around the camp has been tempered by the tragic news surrounding Joshua.
Nigeria remain among the favourites for the title in Morocco, alongside hosts Morocco, Egypt and Senegal, as the tournament heads into its decisive phase.
