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Tragic Loss For Football: Ghanaian Player Christian Atsu Passes Away In Turkish Earthquake
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Christian Atsu, a former Ghana international forward who played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle, has died at the age of 31.
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Search teams found Atsu's lifeless body in the ruins of a luxury 12-story building where he had been living in the city of Antakya, Hatay province.
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His manager, Murat Uzunmehmet, confirmed that Atsu's body was recovered under the rubble and his belongings were being removed.
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Atsu had joined Turkish club Hatayspor in September and scored the winning goal for his new team just hours before the earthquake struck on Feb. 6.
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Antakya, the city where Hatayspor is based, was in the southern region of Turkey hardest hit by the earthquake.
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The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria passed 43,000 on Friday.
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Hatayspor confirmed that Atsu's body was being repatriated to Ghana and expressed their sadness in a tweet.
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Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo posted a photo of Atsu on his official Twitter account and paid tribute to him as an ambassador of Ghana football.
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Former Ghana captain and teammate Asamoah Gyan also tweeted his condolences for Atsu's passing.
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There were initial reports that Atsu had been rescued but Hatayspor later confirmed that the reports were mistaken and he was still missing.
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Atsu's agent, Nana Sechere, traveled to Turkey with members of Atsu's family in an attempt to find him, but they were unsuccessful.
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Rescuers were able to pinpoint Atsu's exact room location in his collapsed apartment building over a week after the earthquake but only found two pairs of his shoes.
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Atsu played more than 60 times for Ghana and was part of the squad at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2015 African Cup of Nations.
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He was named the player of the tournament at the 2015 African Cup, where he helped Ghana reach the final.
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Atsu was signed by Chelsea in 2013 but spent most of his time there on loan at various clubs over the next four years.
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He joined Newcastle on loan in 2016 and was part of the team that won promotion back to the Premier League in the 2016-17 season before signing a permanent deal.
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Newcastle expressed their sadness at Atsu's passing and described him as a talented player and special person who will be fondly remembered.