The World was thrown into shock on 6 February 2023, when a tragic earthquake hit Turkey-Syria., leaving tens of thousands dead.
In Turkey, the confirmed death toll reached 53,537, while estimates in Syria ranged between 5,951 and 8,476..
Among the victims was Christian Atsu, the former Ghana international and winger for Turkish club Hatayspor.
Atsu, 31, went missing immediately earthquake and was feared to be among those trapped under the rubble of Hatayspor’s headquarters in Antakya.
The player, Atsu, had been scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey hours before the quake, but Hatayspor’s manager reported that he stayed with the club after scoring the winning goal in a match on 5 February.
On 7 February, club vice-president Mustafa Özat revealed that Atsu had been rescued and was recovering in the hospital. However, on 8 February, manager Volkan Demirel said that Atsu and the club’s sporting director Taner Savut were still missing.
On 14 February, Atsu’s agent Nana Sekyere confirmed two pairs of his shoes had been found, but that Atsu himself had still not been found.
On 18 February, confirmation was received by his agent that his body was recovered from the rubble of the building he was residing in.
Tragically, on 18 February, Atsu’s body was recovered from the rubble, with his agent Nana Sekyere confirming his death,while any news outlets reported his death at approximately 6 a.m.
Ghana honored Atsu with a one-week observation on 4 March 2023 at the Adjiringanor AstroTurf in Accra. He was later accorded a state-assisted funeral on 17 March 2023 at the Forecourt of the State House, before being laid to rest in his hometown of Dogobome, Ada Foah.
A full international with 65 caps from 2012 to 2019, Atsu represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he also won Player of the Tournament and Goal of the Tournament.
In his personal life, Atsu was married to author Marie-Claire Rupio, and the couple had two sons and a daughter.
He played for Porto, Rio Ave in Portugal, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Everton in England, Malaga in Spain, Vitesse in the Netherlands and Al Raed in Saudi Arabia.