Christian Atsu, the Ghana international forward who played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle, has died in the earthquake in Turkey.
Christian Atsu, the Ghana international forward who played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle, has died in the earthquake in Turkey. He was 31.
Search teams recovered Atsu’s body in the ruins of a luxury 12-story building where he had been living in the city of Antakya, Hatay province, his manager said Saturday.
NOTE: The video above is from a previous report.
« Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble. At the moment, his belongings are still being removed, » manager Murat Uzunmehmet told private news agency DHA.
Atsu joined Turkish club Hatayspor in September and scored the winning goal for his new team in a league game at home against Kasimpaa S.K. on Feb. 5, just hours before the earthquake struck in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 6.
Antakya, the city where Hatayspor is based, is in the southern region of Turkey hardest hit by the earthquake.
The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria passed 43,000 on Friday.
Hatayspor said Atsu’s body was being repatriated to Ghana. « There are no words to describe our sadness, » the club tweeted.
Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo posted a photo of Atsu on his official Twitter account and wrote: « Ghana football has lost one of its finest personnel and ambassadors, one who will be difficult to replace. He’ll be sorely missed. »
Former Ghana captain and teammate Asamoah Gyan tweeted « RIP Brother.
