Christian Atsu’s lifeless body has been found in Turkey. That confirms his club Hatayspor. Murat Uzunmehmet, the agent of the Ghanaian international who played for Vitesse in the past, was the first to report the death.
“The body of Christian Atsu, who lost his life in the earthquake, is on its way to his hometown in Ghana,” Hatayspor reported Saturday morning. “We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful human being. There are no words to describe our sorrow. Rest in peace.”
The body was found in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province. Atsu stayed in the Renassaince Residence, a twelve-storey building that completely collapsed due to the earthquake.
Atsu, who turned 31, had been active in the Turkish Süper Lig at Hatayspor since September last year. Hatay is not far from the epicenter of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6.
Immediately after the earthquake, Atsu was already missing and there was a lot of confusion. Turkish media reported after one day that he had been rescued alive from the rubble, but later it turned out that he had been mistaken. The Hatayspor club doctor determined in the hospital that it was a person other than Atsu.
Atsu played 65 international matches for Ghana, in which the wing striker scored nine goals. He was active with Ghana at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Vitesse
At a young age, Atsu was considered a great talent, who played at FC Porto and Chelsea. That English club loaned him to Vitesse in the 2013/14 season. In Arnhem he made five hits in 28 duels.
Later on, Atsu played for Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga, Newcastle United and Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia before landing in Turkey this season.
After the earthquake, Hatayspor withdrew from the competition. The club’s last goal of the season was scored on 5 February by Atsu, who scored the winning 1-0 against Kasimpasa in the seventh minute of stoppage time from a free kick.
