Christian Atsu: Ghana football star trapped ‘under rubble’ after Turkey earthquake

UPDATE: Finally, Christian Atsu has been found alive inside rubble after today’s earthquake . He reportedly has breathing difficulties and an injury to his right foot, and has been transported to hospital. Thank God..tbh

The Ghana Football Association has asked fans to “pray” for former Chelsea and Newcastle forward Christian Atsu, who has reportedly been trapped under rubble caused by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey.

Both Atsu, 31, and his Hatayspor Sporting Director Taner Savut were left under rubble after the quake, leading Turkish sport presenter Yagız Sabuncuoglu reported.

Hatayspor is the main club in Hatay, one of the cities affected by the quakes that have killed at least 2,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

The Ghana FA said in a tweet: “We pray for Ghana International Christian Atsu and victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

“We continue with our efforts to establish contact with officials of Hatayspor and the Turkish Football Federation, considering the difficult situation.”

The worrying news comes just one day after Atsu netted a 97th-minute free-kick to give Hatayspor a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa. The winger was mobbed by his team-mates after the strike, which moved the club up to 14th in the Turkish top flight.

After the game, Atsu tweeted: “Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet.” The 31-year-old featured 75 times for Newcastle over a four-year period and also featured for Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League.

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