Good News: Ghanian Soccer Player Christian Atsu Found Alive In Rubble After Earthquake in Turkey

Following Monday’s tragic earthquake in Turkey, the count of missing people has gone up, but one person can be taken off that list.

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported yesterday that Ghanian soccer player Christian Atsu was missing, but CNN has reported that he has been found alive. Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere told CNN the 31-year-old is in “stable condition” and resting at a local hospital after being rescued from a large pile of rubble of a collapsed building.

Update: We've received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment.

Let’s continue to pray for Christian🙏🏽

— 🇬🇭 Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) February 7, 2023

Atsu was in Turkey for a game Sunday night. He scored a 97th- minute winner for Turkish top-flight side Hatayspor in a 1-0 victory over Kasımpasa. Hours later, news of a 7.8 magnitude quake that brought down whole apartment blocks in several Turkish and Syrian cities, made headlines.

Many outlets reported that Atsu was safe but that wasn’t initially the case. “There were lots of reports out of England and Ghana that Christian was safe, but the first official confirmation I had was on Tuesday morning,” Sechere told CNN.

Before the earthquake happened, CNN claimed Atsu was playing poker with friends until 3:30 a.m. local time on Monday and returned home around 4 a.m. Sechere said he received a call from Hatayspor club officials around 5 a.m. with news that the building Atsu was staying in was completely destroyed and that they couldn’t get hold of him.

“The last I’d heard from Christian was midnight,” the agent told CNN. “I was hoping he was awake and that the earthquake hadn’t happened while he was sleeping.”

Since news of his safe rescue, fans and his former soccer club have shown outpouring support. Everton Football Club made a Facebook post in celebration of his rescue:

“We are relieved to hear Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued and is recovering in hospital. Our thoughts continue to be with everyone affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. .”

Atsu is one of the lucky ones. CNN reports that more than 5,000 deaths have been confirmed in Turkey and Syria with another 21,000 injured.