Ghana Soccer Star Christian Atsu Dies In Turkey Earthquake Aged 31

Christian Atsu, the Ghana worldwide ahead who performed for Premier League golf equipment Chelsea and Newcastle, has died within the earthquake in Turkey. He was 31.

Search groups recovered Atsu’s physique within the ruins of a luxurious 12-story constructing the place he had been dwelling within the metropolis of Antakya, Hatay province, his supervisor mentioned Saturday.

“Atsu’s lifeless physique was discovered beneath the rubble. In the meanwhile, his belongings are nonetheless being eliminated,” supervisor Murat Uzunmehmet advised non-public information company DHA.

Atsu joined Turkish membership Hatayspor in September and scored the successful aim for his new crew in a league recreation at residence in opposition to Kasimpaşa S.Ok. on Feb. 5, simply hours earlier than the earthquake struck within the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 6.

Antakya, the town the place Hatayspor relies, is within the southern area of Turkey hardest hit by the earthquake.

The loss of life toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria handed 43,000 on Friday.

Hatayspor mentioned Atsu’s physique was being repatriated to Ghana. “There aren’t any phrases to explain our disappointment,” the membership tweeted.

A day after the earthquake there have been experiences that Atsu had been rescued however Hatayspor, after initially asserting that it had obtained info that Atsu was alive and on his technique to the hospital, mentioned later that the experiences of a profitable rescue had been, heartbreakingly, mistaken and the participant was nonetheless lacking. It had additionally mentioned the membership’s sporting director, Taner Savut, was nonetheless lacking. Savut has not but been discovered.

The contractor of the 12-story Ronesans Rezidans constructing — the place Atsu and Savut lived — was detained at Istanbul Airport per week in the past, apparently making an attempt to go away the nation.

Atsu’s agent, Nana Sechere, traveled to Turkey with members of Atsu’s household in an try to seek out him, holding onto hopes that he may be alive amid the wreckage. Sechere had urged authorities and Hatayspor officers to step up their efforts within the seek for Atsu and Savut.

In an announcement Tuesday, Sechere mentioned rescuers had been capable of pinpoint Atsu’s precise room location in his collapsed condo constructing over per week after the devastating earthquake however the one factor they recovered had been two pairs of his sneakers.

Sechere confirmed Saturday that Atsu’s physique was discovered. He posted a message on Twitter: “My deepest condolences go to his household and family members.”

Atsu performed greater than 60 occasions for Ghana and scored on his debut as a 20-year-old in 2012. He was a part of the Ghana squad on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and starred on the 2015 African Cup of Nations, scoring two targets to assist Ghana to the ultimate, the place it misplaced in a penalty shootout to Ivory Coast.

He was named the participant of the match at that African Cup.

Atsu was signed by Chelsea in 2013 however his time there was restricted to appearances in exhibition video games and he was despatched out on mortgage to varied golf equipment over the following 4 years. The winger joined Newcastle on mortgage in 2016 and was a part of the crew that gained promotion again to the Premier League within the 2016-17 season.

He signed a everlasting take care of Newcastle in 2017 and spent 4 years there. The membership mentioned Saturday it was “profoundly saddened” by Atsu’s loss of life.

“A proficient participant and a particular individual, he’ll all the time be fondly remembered by our gamers, workers and supporters,” Newcastle tweeted.

The Ghana Soccer Affiliation added: “We want to specific our deepest condolences to his spouse and youngsters, the household, family members and the soccer group.”

Atsu joined Hatayspor final yr after a brief spell taking part in in Saudi Arabia.

Ibrahim Kwarteng, a pal of Atsu’s in Ghana, advised The Related Press in a current interview that he knew the participant as somebody who helped folks in his West African residence nation as a lot as he may.

Kwarteng runs a company that helps folks convicted of petty crimes get jobs and put their lives again collectively after being launched from jail and Atsu was its single greatest donor, Kwarteng mentioned. Atsu had additionally began constructing an orphanage in Ghana and was serving to to fund a brand new breast most cancers screening heart, Kwarteng mentioned.

Related Press author Francis Kokutse in Accra, Ghana, contributed to this report.