Ghana soccer player Christian Atsu dies in Turkey earthquake – The Boston Globe

Atsu joined Turkish membership Hatayspor in September and scored the profitable aim for his new workforce in a league sport at dwelling towards 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 is predicated, 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 unhappiness,” the membership tweeted.

Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo posted a photograph of Atsu on his official Twitter account and wrote: “Ghana soccer has misplaced considered one of its most interesting personnel and ambassadors, one who can be tough to interchange. He’ll be sorely missed.”

Former Ghana captain and teammate Asamoah Gyan tweeted “RIP Brother.”

A day after the earthquake there have been experiences that Atsu had been rescued however Hatayspor, after initially saying that it had acquired data that Atsu was alive and on his method to the hospital, mentioned later that the experiences of a profitable rescue have 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 attempting 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 a press release Tuesday, Sechere mentioned rescuers had been in a position to pinpoint Atsu’s precise room location in his collapsed condo constructing over per week after the devastating earthquake however the one factor they recovered have been two pairs of his footwear.

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 instances 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 objectives 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 subsequent 4 years. The winger joined Newcastle on mortgage in 2016 and was a part of the workforce that received promotion again to the Premier League within the 2016-17 season.

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

“A gifted 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 wish to specific our deepest condolences to his spouse and kids, 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 buddy of Atsu’s in Ghana, advised The Related Press in a latest interview that he knew the participant as somebody who helped folks in his West African dwelling nation as a lot as he might.

Kwarteng runs a corporation 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 largest 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.

___

Comply with AP’s earthquake protection: https://apnews.com/hub/earthquakes

__

Extra AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports