The physique of Christian Atsu, knowledgeable soccer participant from Ghana whose profession took him to England’s Premier League and the World Cup, has been recovered from the rubble in southern Turkey practically two weeks after a strong earthquake struck the nation, his membership and his agent mentioned on Saturday. He was 31.
“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that I’ve to announce to all nicely wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s physique was recovered this morning,” Nana Sechere, Mr. Atsu’s agent, wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “My deepest condolences go to his household and family members.”
Mr. Sechere mentioned Mr. Atsu had been present in Hatay Province in southern Turkey, one of many hardest-hit areas within the earthquake.
Mr. Atsu, who performed for the Turkish membership Hatayspor, had been among the many 1000’s of individuals lacking since Feb. 6, when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. Simply hours earlier than the quake, he had scored his crew’s profitable aim in its match towards Kasimpasa, a crew from Istanbul.
His membership additionally confirmed the information and mentioned he was being repatriated to Ghana.
“We is not going to overlook you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, lovely particular person,” Hatayspor mentioned in a statement on Twitter on Saturday.
There had been conflicting accounts of Mr. Atsu’s whereabouts after the earthquake, and earlier statements that he had been rescued had initially raised hopes that he had survived the earthquake.
Mr. Atsu, a member of Ghana’s World Cup crew in 2014, had spent the majority of his profession with European golf equipment, and signed with Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle United. He joined Hatayspor final yr.
Condolences poured in on Saturday on social media, together with from Newcastle United, the Premier League and FIFA, soccer’s world governing physique. The Ghana Soccer Affiliation mentioned that weekend video games would maintain a second of silence for Mr. Atsu.
“Ghana soccer has misplaced one among its best personnel and ambassadors, one who will probably be troublesome to interchange,” President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana said on Twitter.
Because the membership desperately looked for Mr. Atsu after the earthquake, Volkan Demirel, Hatayspor’s supervisor, had pleaded for help.
“I assumed the day of judgment had come. I instantly considered my gamers,” Mr. Demirel advised Hurriyet, a Turkish newspaper, in regards to the second the earthquake hit.
“Might God not trigger such ache to anybody,” he added.
Greater than 45,000 folks have died within the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, based on figures from the Turkish authorities and from the United Nations, and the loss of life toll was anticipated to proceed to rise.