British-Nigerian boxing icon Anthony Joshua has sparked conversation around the longstanding Nigeria-Ghana rivalry after describing his recent visit to Accra as a revelation, suggesting that Nigerians had downplayed the West African neighbour’s charm, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The two-time unified world heavyweight champion was in Ghana for the Legacy RISE Sports: Battle of the Beasts boxing event, where he engaged in several activities, including a courtesy call on President John Mahama at the Jubilee House.

Speaking during the visit, Joshua admitted that he had not initially planned to visit Ghana, largely because of opinions he had heard in Nigeria.

He noted that his time in Accra had changed his perception completely.

“Coming to Ghana actually wasn’t on my agenda,” Joshua said.

“Because, for some reason, everyone in Nigeria puts Nigeria above Ghana. But I’m now here and I’m looking around like, they’ve been lying to me.”

His candid remark was met with laughter and applause from those present, highlighting the good-natured rivalry that often exists between citizens of both countries.

Since his arrival in Ghana on Friday, June 13, Joshua has taken part in several high-profile engagements as part of the sporting event spearheaded by Sharaf Mahama.

These included interactions with young athletes, public appearances, and meetings with dignitaries.

Visibly impressed by what he encountered, Joshua commended the country’s infrastructure, culture and hospitality. He said the experience had shifted his views significantly.

“I’m impressed with your beautiful country, amazing culture, hospitality, the airport, the organisation, and I can’t wait to go back and tell everyone across the world how beautiful this place is,” he added.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion was battered from start to finish against Dubois – with Joshua’s trainer now opening up on preparations for the contest

Anthony Joshua’s trainer Ben Davison has revealed that the British star was ‘very late’ to his fight with Daniel Dubois last September.

Heading into the showdown at Wembley Stadium, Joshua was riding a four fight winning streak – which included wins over Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin. The 35-year-old failed in his quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion after losing to Dubois.

Joshua was dropped multiple times before being stopped in the fifth round. It seemed likely that the pair would go head-to-head in an immediate rematch, but ‘AJ’ suffered some minor injuries in the initial encounter that forced him to take some time away from the ring.

The former two-time world champion was a big favourite going into the contest – with many pondering exactly what went wrong for Joshua soon after the dust-up. In an interview with talkSPORT, Davison explained that preparations for the fight were far from ideal.

“This isn’t an excuse, he’s never mentioned it and it’s not the reason we lost,” he said. “He was very very late arriving to the dressing room before the fight for unforeseen circumstances. It was a major rush which wasn’t ideal. Maybe that had an impact on his ring walk, I can’t say yes or no.

“Again it’s not an excuse, but if what you guys were seeing is true, maybe the fact he was late then that didn’t help. The fights before we had an extremely long warm-up, this time it was the complete opposite. But this time it was a big rush, although it wasn’t why he lost.”

Joshua is looking to return to the ring before the end of the year after having elbow surgery. His promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that his star client could return anytime between October and December. ‘AJ’ is still targeting an all-British showdown with Tyson Fury amid talks of the ‘Gypsy King’ potentially making a stunning return to action.

Hearn himself is still holding out hope that Fury will make a retirement U-turn and fight his star client. The Boxing promoter told DAZN: “It’s probably three fights away. For me, if I’m advising AJ, we’re back this year, we have two Tyson Fury fights, what else is there to do? Maybe fight a Daniel Dubois, but for me once AJ fights Tyson Fury, he’s kind of done it all.

“I’d love him to have another crack at Daniel Dubois and I’d love him to have another crack at Usyk but you just keep going on and on and on. Now, if we get to next year and he’s still firing on all cylinders then 2026 won’t be his last year. But for me, something feels right about coming back this year, beating Tyson Fury twice and then sailing off into the sunset.”

There are still some intriguing match-ups for Joshua and while Davison believes a discussion will need to be held over his next move, he is open to going straight for championship glory once again. “I’m not a massive fan of the ‘everybody needs activity,'” he continued. “It’s not ideal after the injury, it’s hard to say the likes of Deontay Wilder is a tune-up fight. There are discussions that would need to happen, but his goal is to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.”

Femi Fabunmi

British-Nigerian boxing champion Anthony Joshua has sparked conversations online after claiming Nigerians misled him about Ghana, PM has learnt.

In a now-viral Instagram video, the 35-year-old boxer expressed deep admiration for Ghana during a courtesy visit to former President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra.

Joshua was in Ghana for the Legacy Rise Sports: Battle of the Beasts boxing event on June 13, 2025, and has since made headlines for his glowing remarks about the country’s culture and hospitality.

“Coming to Ghana actually wasn’t on my agenda,” Joshua revealed during his meeting with President Mahama. “Because, for some reason, everyone in Nigeria puts Nigeria above Ghana. But I’m now here, and I’m looking around like—they’ve been lying to me.”

His comments have stirred reactions across social media, with many users either applauding his honesty or playfully reacting to the rivalry between the two West African nations.

While in Ghana, Joshua participated in several engagements—from visiting local markets to private meetings with community leaders. His involvement in the boxing event, spearheaded by Sharaf Mahama, not only showcased Ghana’s growing sports industry but also changed his perception of the country.

“I’m impressed with your beautiful country, the amazing culture, the hospitality, the airport facilities, and the organisation of events here,” Joshua said. “I can’t wait to go back and tell everyone across the world how beautiful this place is.”

In a heartfelt gesture, Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama gifted Joshua a high-end Honda motorbike, estimated to be worth between $10,000 and $18,000. The gift was a token of appreciation for Joshua’s support of Sharaf Mahama’s vision to promote boxing in Ghana.

Joshua, visibly thrilled, rode through the streets of Accra on the motorcycle—an image that quickly captured attention online.

Meanwhile, a viral video also showed Sharaf Mahama teaching his younger sister, Farida Mahama, basic self-defence techniques at the Battle of the Beasts event, earning him praise as a caring brother and advocate for youth empowerment.

The boxer’s visit has not only highlighted Ghana’s hospitality but also reopened light-hearted debates on social media about the friendly rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana.