Christian Atsu cancelled a trip to visit family just hours before the Turkish-Syrian earthquake claimed his life. A tragic announcement on Saturday confirmed the Ghanaian had been pulled from the rubble of an apartment block.
Conflicting reports following the disaster claimed Atsu survived. His club, Hatayspor, and the Ghana Football Association retracted initial statements reporting he was still alive, attributing the error to mistaken identity.
The worst fears were confirmed when his agent, Nana Sechere, announced his death on social media. A tweet read: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning. My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I ask that whilst we make the necessary arrangements, that everyone would please respect the privacy of the family during this very difficult time."
On February 5, the day before the deadly earthquake that killed over 45,000 people, Atsu scored a 97th-minute free-kick winner against Kasimpasa. In a tragic turn of events, the former Newcastle United man halted plans to leave Turkey after bagging the goal.
READ MORE: Mehrdad Ghodoussi leads tributes to former Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu
Hatayspor's administrative manager Faith Ilek revealed the match-winning strike persuaded Atsu to halt plans to leave the country. The 31-year-old’s cancelled flight to visit his wife and three children departed five hours before the disaster struck.
"He didn't play against Gaziantep FK, but scored a last-minute goal in the Kasımpasa match," Ilek told Turkish outlet Radyospor. "Actually, he was going abroad to visit his family. But when he played well and scored, he cancelled his ticket.
“The earthquake happened on his happiest day. He had a flight at 11pm. Cancelled the ticket. There was an earthquake at 4am. Absolutely a tragedy."
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