The coach of Christian Atsu’s Turkish club, Hatayspor, said on Wednesday that the Ghanaian midfielder has still not been found, contradicting an earlier announcement by Ghana’s Football Association. On Tuesday, the GFA had reported that Atsu had “been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment” after the 7.8‑magnitude quake struck early on Monday.
Atsu, who spent four seasons at Chelsea before moving permanently to Newcastle in 2017, signed with Hatayspor in September. The club is based in the southern province of Hatay, near the epicentre of Monday’s earthquake. “I don’t have good news, still not found under the rubble,” Hatayspor coach Volkan Demirel told AFP.
Atsu’s image agent, Gaynor Frascione, expressed her concern, saying, “We don’t know. Everyone is trying to locate which medical centre he could be in. We don’t know if he’s still alive.” She added that the building also housed 18 Ghanaian students, and that the Turkish ambassador, a doctor, and others had made statements, but the situation remained chaotic.
Atsu spent five seasons at Newcastle, playing more than 100 games before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2021. He earned his final of 60 Ghana national caps in September 2019. Dozens of nations have offered aid since the quake, but freezing weather has hampered emergency efforts. The latest death toll estimate exceeds 11,200.
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