Turkey Earthquake: Confusion About Safety Of Ghana Midfielder Atsu
On Wednesday, the coach of Christian Atsu’s Turkish club Hatayspor, Volkan Demirel, said the Ghanaian midfielder has not been found, despite contradictory announcements earlier, following the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), on Tuesday said Atsu had “been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment” after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck Turkey and neighbouring Syria early on Monday.
Update: We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment.
Let’s continue to pray for Christian🙏🏽
— Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) February 7, 2023
Atsu, 31, has made 60 appearances for the Black Stars of Ghana. He spent four seasons at Chelsea before a permanent transfer to Newcastle in 2017. He signed in September for Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor, based in the Southern Province of Hatay near the epicentre of the quake.
Hatayspor boss Demirel On Wednesday said the player had still not been located after it had been announced he had been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital on Monday, following the huge earthquakes.
“There is no information on his whereabouts yet, we don’t know where he is,” Hatayspor boss Demirel said. “It’s not the case that he was pulled out or taken anywhere else.”
More than 10,000 people have been killed after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria during the early hours of Monday morning, followed by a second of 7.5.
The Turkish football federation announced in the wake of the earthquake that all club games had been postponed.
Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.
