Posted by Christian Atsu’s boyhood club Peace Boys FC and Avenor Stars observed a minute silence in his memory.
The former Ghana international was confirmed dead on Saturday morning after his body was found 12 days after he went missing following a devastating earthquake that struck some cities in Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday, February 6, 2023.
Atsu prior to his shocking death was playing for Turkish topflight fold Hatayspor and had scored his first goal for the club just hours before the incident that took more than 40,000 lives and left thousands badly injured.
Ahead of a preseason friendly encounter between Avenor-based Juvenile side Avenor Stars and Peace Boys FC, both sets of players held a minute’s silence in his memory.
Christian Atsu started his career with Peace Boys FC under the tutelage of Coach Bala, before leaving to join Feyenoord Football Academy, now named West African Football Academy (WAFA).
Atsu later moved to join Cheetah FC, where he secured a move to FC Porto in 2009. He played for FC Porto’s youth team for two years and was promoted to the senior team at the start of the 2011/12 season, but spent the season on loan at Rio Ave.
The diminutive winger returned to Porto for the 2012/13 and shone at the club. His performances caught the attention of Chelsea and was signed by the club for £3.5 million.
Atsu spent 5 seasons at Chelsea but never made an appearance for the team. During the 5 seasons, he was out on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, Málaga and Newcastle.
In May 2017, Atsu completed a permanent transfer to Newcastle, where he spent four seasons and made over 70 Premier League appearances.
Following the end of his four-year contract with the Magpies, he played for Al Raed in Saudi Arabia and Hatayspor in Turkey, where he died in an earthquake at age 31.
At National level, Atsu made 65 appearances for the Ghana national team from 2012 to 2019. He represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
He helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he also won Player of the Tournament and Goal of the Tournament.