Christian Atsu’s Remains Arrive In Ghana

The remains of Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu, who passed away two weeks ago after an earthquake hit Turkey, arrived in his native country, Ghana on Sunday night.

The aircraft carrying the remains of Christian Atsu landed in Accra at 19:25 GMT, where it was met by family members, dignitaries from the government, and representatives of the Ghana Football Association.

Afterward, members of the Ghanaian military transported the remains to a mortuary at a military hospital.

Naija News recalls that since his flat in Antakya, in the severely damaged Hatay Province in Turkey, collapsed as a result of the horrific 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6, Atsu has been missing.

The player’s agency revealed his death on Twitter on Saturday, February 18, after the Hatayspor club first claimed he had been saved with injuries.

Before his sudden demise, Atsu made 65 appearances for Ghana’s national team. The winger helped the team reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The 31-year-old also played in Premier League games for Everton and Newcastle before he joined Turkish side Hatayspor last Summer.

While speaking at Kotoka Airport in Accra, Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia who was on the ground to receive the footballer’s remains, promised to give Atsu a “befitting” burial.

The vice president said, “We hoped against hope, every day that passed, we prayed and prayed. But alas, when he was found, he was no more.”

He added, “It is a painful loss, a very painful one.”