Anthony Joshua has indicated he will carry on with his boxing career following the tragic car accident that took the lives of two of his closest companions.

The heavyweight was travelling in the vehicle when it crashed in Nigeria earlier this month, killing Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele and Sina Ghami. Joshua sustained only minor injuries. The driver of the car has since appeared before a Nigerian court facing charges including causing death by dangerous driving.

Now, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, Joshua has provided the clearest indication yet about his future in the ring.

“I’ve lost people before, but I don’t think I’ve lost people like that, my left and my right. The mission must go on… I understand my duty,” he said.

He added: “I know what we’re going to do to continue – I don’t want to say ‘legacy’ – because I had a lot of those questions during my fight in Miami.

“‘How does this affect your legacy?’ It ain’t about legacy, it’s about doing what’s right and I know I’m going to do what’s right for them. I know what I’ve got to do.

“I’m going to do what’s right by them and what’s right by their family.”

The six-minute video, entitled “My Brothers Keeper For Life”, sees him visibly moved as he reflects on what his friends meant to him. “Not only did their parents, their uncles, their cousins, their friends and myself lose like two great men, we lost people that we dearly care about,” he said.

“[They were] major players in all of our lives, major, major players in all of our lives, it’s tough, it’s really tough.”

Struggling to contain his emotions, he continued: “They’re my brothers, they’re my friends first and foremost.”

This marks the first occasion Joshua has publicly addressed the crash. His only previous public acknowledgement was a social media tribute posted on the morning of his friends’ funerals.

He shared two photographs on his Instagram story featuring his mother alongside three other women, one of whom was holding an image of Ghami. The post carried the caption: “My Brothers Keeper.”