Atsu is one of tens of thousands dead from the natural disaster, but his name went around the world the day of the earthquake. On February 5, the night before the devastating natural disaster, the Hatayspor player was the match winner against Kasimpasa (1-0).
According to the team manager, Atsu would normally take the plane a few hours before the earthquake, but the 31-year-old left winger decided to stay at the club after scoring the winning goal.
In those first hours after the disaster, there were many conflicting reports about the former player of Vitesse, Malaga and Newcastle. For example, news came from the Ghanaian embassy in Turkey that the 62-time international had been found alive, but that turned out to be wrong.
“Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble,” Turkish real estate agent Murat Uzunmehmet told reporters this morning in Hatay, where the footballer was staying. “At the moment more and more of his things are being found, including his phone.”
The club also still fears the fate of sporting director Taner Savut, who is also still missing.
According to Turkish media, Atsu was staying in the luxury Rönesans residence, a 12-storey building that completely collapsed and buried 800 residents. The residence’s construction promoter was arrested last week when he tried to leave Turkey.
Atsu ended up in September at Hatayspor, which is the club of Hatay in southern Turkey, close to the epicenter of the February 6 quake. The earthquake, followed by many aftershocks, has already claimed nearly 50,000 victims in Turkey and Syria.
