Atsu performed on Ghana’s World Cup workforce in 2014. Earlier than becoming a member of Hatayspor of the Turkish Tremendous Lig final 12 months, he additionally performed for Newcastle, Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth within the Premier League, and had a quick stint with Saudi membership Al Raed.

The soccer participant’s whereabouts had been unknown for greater than 10 days because the earthquakes this month devastated Turkey and Syria, killing greater than 43,000 folks and leaving many extra homeless.

The Ghana Soccer Affiliation and Hatayspor confirmed his physique was discovered on Saturday. Hatayspor stated the 31-year-old ahead “misplaced his life below the rubble” and his physique was being despatched to Ghana for the funeral.

“We won’t neglect you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, stunning individual,” the membership stated. “There are not any phrases to explain our unhappiness.”

Pleas for assist develop pressing as Christian Atsu stays lacking in Turkey

Earlier this week, Atsu’s agent wrote that his room in a collapsed condo constructing was positioned together with two pairs of his footwear within the hard-hit Hatay area in southern Turkey. His associate, who lives in England, had advised the BBC she was praying he was nonetheless alive and that their youngsters had discovered from the radio that he was nonetheless lacking, after earlier reviews that he had been rescued.

Rescuers in southern Turkey are nonetheless discovering folks below the wreckage of the quakes, which leveled complete condo complexes and worsened the plight of tens of millions who had been already battered by warfare in neighboring Syria.

Hours earlier than the temblors struck Turkey, Atsu had scored the profitable purpose deep in stoppage time of Hatayspor’s Tremendous Lig match towards Kasimpasa.

Many shared movies of crowds cheering for his final profitable purpose on social media as soccer followers and golf equipment paid tribute to Atsu on Saturday.

Ghanaian officers described him as a supply of pleasure, British soccer golf equipment shared their condolences and hailed his expertise, and sports activities journalists wrote of his donations to charity.

“He was genuinely a very good one that the Ghanaian society will really miss,” wrote Ghanaian sports activities journalist Owuraku Ampofo. “That is very painful.”

Cindy Boren contributed to this report.