Anthony Joshua says he is not ready for the loss of his two close friends and team members to "sink in yet" as he prepares for his first fight since their deaths.

Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele died when the vehicle they were travelling in, alongside heavyweight boxer Joshua and another passenger, collided with a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos, Nigeria, on 29 December 2025.

Joshua, who sustained minor injuries, is set to return to the ring against heavyweight Kristian Prenga on Saturday for his first contest since knocking out American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul 10 days before the crash.

The 36-year-old told BBC Sport: "It's tough, every time I think about it, it hurts.

"Even talking about it now... pictures… it hurts but I keep my mind occupied you know.

"If I stop, you let it sink in and I'm not ready for it to sink in yet."

Ghami was Joshua's full-time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach and worked with him for more than 10 years.

Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video on Instagram of him playing table tennis with his long-time friend Ayodele, a personal trainer.

Prenga will be Joshua's first competitive fight since his knockout loss to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.

The former world champion admitted to feeling a "little bit nervous" before his return.

"It's competition at the highest level," he added.

"I want to perform for my team, I want to make them proud and make myself proud.

"It's a balance of nerves but I understand what my job is. [I have] a lot of understanding and clarity on what I have to do."

Fury on the mind but Joshua not overlooking Prenga

A long-awaited fight between Joshua and fellow Briton Tyson Fury is expected to take place later in the year - if both men win their respective encounters.

Former heavyweight champion Fury faces Poland's Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday, with the 46-year-old expected to be Fury's final opponent before the 'Battle of Britain' bout against Joshua.

Fury's bout with Wach takes place the night before Joshua is scheduled to take on Albania's Prenga, with the latter taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The gap between the two bouts could enable Fury to attend his rival's event.

Joshua declined Fury's invite to face-off in the ring after the latter's victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April but the Olympic gold medallist admits a face-off might not be far off.

Joshua said: "I'm not overlooking Prenga. This is a big deal for me this fight. God willing, everything works out.

"If it's not Saturday night where we face-off, it will be within the next four to six weeks.

"It's a big mark to leave on the sport. If I win on Saturday and I could win later in the year, it's massive.

"The stars are aligned and I have to make sure that I'm on course. It's out there for me to go and do.

"It's going to be challenging but I can be the coward or the hero and I have to decide what I want to be."