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Anthony Joshua survives two knock downs by Albania’s Kristian Prenga before winning the fight in the second round.

Former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua recovered from two knockdowns to knock out Kristian Prenga in the second round of a dramatic non-title heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia.

The fight in Jeddah on Saturday was seen as the British boxer’s final step before setting up a long-awaited showdown against his compatriot Tyson Fury.

It also marked his return to the ring for the first time since a horrific car crash in Nigeria in December, during which Joshua lost two of his best friends and sustained injuries.

Back inside the ring, Joshua was floored by an uppercut inside 30 seconds. He beat the count but looked seriously shaken.

Then Prenga knocked Joshua down again, but the former heavyweight champion rose before the end of the count and survived until the bell in the first round.

A quick end to the fight was expected, but nobody thought it would be Prenga’s.

In the second round, Joshua unleashed a flurry of punches and finished Prenga with a right hook, sending the Albanian through the bottom of the ropes.

The turnaround shocked even heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, whose face was caught by TV cameras as he watched from ringside.

The comeback kept alive the possibility of an all-British fight between Joshua and Fury.

Joshua’s manager Eddie Hearn claims his fighter and Fury have signed a contract to meet for the first time later this year, but on the condition that they come through warm-up bouts this weekend.

“I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat,” Joshua told the crowd about fighting Fury following his win over Prenga.

Fury played his part by coming out of retirement this year and, on Friday, forcing 46-year-old Polish journeyman Mariusz Wach to retire in round seven in Pattaya, Thailand.

Joshua almost blew his part of the claimed contract before showcasing his champion’s fightback spirit.

Prenga brought a 20-1 fight record with 20 KOs into the match-up with Joshua and looked every bit the knockout artist.

Joshua, fighting for the first time since surviving the car crash that killed his friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, acknowledged them straight after improving his fight record to 30-4 (27 KOs).

“It’s more than punch power,” Joshua said of his knockout punch. “That was spirit. That was Latz and Sina. That was the family. You know what I mean? That hurts even talking about it.

“He [Prenga] gave me a good test, but this is what champions do: we rise. We get knocked down and stand up. That is life; that is life’s motto.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina are on the verge of reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time after beating Qatar 3-1 in their final Group B match.

Bosnia move on to four points and are in a strong position to be one of the best eight third-placed teams to progress to the last 32.

Qatar, meanwhile, exit at the group stage, just as they did four years ago when they hosted the World Cup.

Goals from Bosnia’s youngest-ever World Cup player, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, and an own goal by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada looked to have put the European side in the box seat.

However, Qatar made a game of it when 35-year-old Hassan Alhaydos, their most capped player, pulled one back late in the first half.

Ermin Mahmic then put the game beyond the Qataris when he scored for the second successive match in the 80th minute.

Bosnia flew out of the blocks as soon as the whistle went, testing Abunada twice inside the first four minutes.

First, Abunada denied Ermedin Demirovic’s fierce drive, and then he tipped away Ivan Sunjic’s shot.

Bosnia’s dominance finally paid off, but it was not the 40-year-old talisman Edin Dzeko who broke the deadlock, but the sublimely talented teenage left-wing.

Abunada was unable to do anything about Alajbegovic’s screamer from outside the area, after he had beaten two players.

The youngster was mobbed by his teammates, and once they had trotted back to the halfway line, he stood and milked the moment, putting a finger to his lips.

Dzeko, winning his 150th cap, came more and more into the game, and not wishing to have his thunder stolen by the new kid on the block, he played an integral role in their second five minutes later.

His shot took a wicked deflection off Sultan Albrake and then Abunada on its way into the net.

Dzeko was well into his stride now, and he broke clear a few minutes later, his shot beating Abunada but rebounding off the post.

Bosnia’s earlier sprightliness dipped in the heat, and it was the doyen of Qatari football, Alhaydos, who repaid coach Julen Lopetegui’s faith by slotting home in the 42nd minute.

The Bosnian defence failed to learn from that, and in time added on, they had the far post to thank for keeping their noses in front as Pedro Miguel’s shot came back off it.

Alhaydos’s World Cup, and perhaps his distinguished international career, ended in tears as he trudged disconsolately off the pitch, injured in the 55th minute.

Chances were few and far between until Esmir Bajraktarevic stole in from the right wing and came close to emulating Alajbegovic’s effort, but Abunada turned it away for a corner.

Bosnian frustration gave way to ecstasy when Mahmic prodded the ball home – the scorer ripping his shirt off in celebration, and the 21-year-old paid little notice to being booked for it.

Goals from Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri steered Algeria to a 2-1 win over Jordan in Group J, completing their second-half comeback.

Algeria stormed back to beat Jordan 2-1 and eliminate the World Cup debutants with a match to spare on Monday thanks to second-half goals ⁠from substitute Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri.

Benbouali’s header cancelled out Nizar Al-Rashdan’s first-half opener, and Gouiri poked home in a goalmouth scramble eight minutes from time to revive Algeria’s campaign after their opening 3-0 loss ⁠to Argentina.

The victory put Algeria level with Austria on three points in Group J, while ensuring defending champions Argentina will go through to the round of 32 as group winners following their 2-0 win over the Austrians earlier on Monday.

Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic put veteran attacker Riyad Mahrez in his starting 11 after benching him against ‌Argentina, and he proved influential in breaking down a Jordan team that defended in numbers and was quick on the counterattack.

Mahrez blew an early chance when he ran onto a sublime lofted pass from Hicham Boudaoui but lost the ball under his feet. He then latched onto another long ball from Boudaoui to be one-on-one with Yazeed Abu Laila, but the Jordan goalkeeper got a hand to his chipped shot.

Jordan, who lost their opener 3-1 to Austria, went ahead in the 36th minute ⁠following clever link-up play and a touch of fortune when Algeria midfielder Ramiz ⁠Zerrouki turned the ball over in defence.

Mousa Al-Tamari’s shot went sideways to Al-Rashdan, who drilled home first-time into the bottom right corner.

Petkovic brought on Nabil Bentaleb and Benbouali at the break, and Algeria lifted their intensity.

Surrounded by Jordan defenders, Benbouali rose highest to ⁠meet a Mahrez corner and sent a glancing header bouncing into the corner of the net in the 69th minute.

Thirteen minutes later, Algeria took the lead ⁠from another setpiece.

Substitute Anis Hadj Moussa curled in a corner kick ⁠and a deflection off Jordan goalscorer Al-Rashdan allowed a gleeful Gouiri to poke in the winner.

For Algeria, it sets the stage for a grudge match against Austria, 44 years after the “Disgrace of Gijon”.

At the 1982 World Cup, Austria and West Germany were alleged to ‌have colluded in a group match against each other to ensure both would advance at the expense of eliminated Algeria.

West Germany and Austria denied wrongdoing and FIFA cleared them.

Algeria can take a measure of revenge ‌against ‌Austria when they face them in Kansas City on Saturday, while Jordan face Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi, who has scored all five of their goals at the World Cup so far.