Mustafa Özat, Vice-President of Hatayspor, the football club Christian Atsu plays for has confirmed that the Ghanaian international has been rescued alive.
He said: “Christian Atsu was removed with injuries. Unfortunately, our sporting director Taner Savut is still under the rubble.”
The Ghanaian international is said to be having some breathing difficulties with some injuries and has been taken to the hospital to receive treatment.
He has been confirmed safe by the Turkish rescue team after a major earthquake hit the country Monday morning.
Confirmation of his rescue has sent Ghanaians from all walks of life happy expressing gratitude to Almighty God
The hashtag ” #GloryToGod” has been trending on social media with various social media users, who are relieved with the news of Atsu’s rescue after hours of conflicting reports.
A statement from Ghana Football Association (GFA) said: “We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and he is receiving treatment. Let’s continue to pray for Christian”.
The Hatayspor forward was also affected by the disaster as he was trapped in the rubble for about 24 hours in his residence in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
The earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, is said to be the worst to hit the country in a century. The last incident was in 1939.
The former Chelsea and Newcastle player joined the Turkish side in September last year and was on the scoresheet on Sunday when his side beat Kasimpasa 1-0.
Atsu made 65 appearances for the Black Stars of Ghana, scoring nine goals.
