One year after the tragic events in Turkey that sadly led to his passing, the wife, sister, and agent of the late Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu, have shared their experiences of coping with the loss of their beloved.
Christiana Twasam, Nana Sechere, and Marie Claire-Rupio, Christian Atsu’s surviving spouse, spoke to The Athletic, based in the UK, revealing the challenges they faced following his demise and how they have been dealing with the void left by his absence.
Christiana Twasam recounted the emotional turmoil caused by the uncertainty surrounding his disappearance and eventual death, highlighting the family’s relentless efforts to locate him.
“When I got there, I was devastated because I thought no one was going to survive in that building,” says Christiana, recalling the sight of the collapsed Renaissance Residence five-star block where Christian was. Hatayspor’s sporting director, Taner Savut, was also in the wreckage.
“We would call out his name,” says Christiana. “The rescuers would alert us if they sensed a life, then bring out the body and you’d be asked to verify if it was someone you knew. It broke my heart when you saw a body bag coming—i was going to be your own relative or not,” she says. “We were like a family around the fire in the evening. When someone verified their relative and broke down, it reminded you that one day you would too.”
Nana Sechere, the agent of Christian Atsu, spoke about a few moments when they received some hope that they were going to find him, hopefully alive.
“I spotted a shoe that looked very much like Christian’s through the legs of one of the search teams,” says Nana. “He threw it over to me and it was one of his Yeezy trainers. We found the other one from the pair soon after, and it told us we were looking in the right place.”
Following days of searching through the rubble in hopes of finding their loved one, known primarily for his charitable endeavours, the family received devastating news. While they were sleeping in tents and cars at night, a call came through confirming that a body had been found. Tragically, it turned out to be Atsu’s.
“Two officials took us to a body bag lying on the floor,” he says. “We had seen so many that even before they were opened, (we knew they) weren’t the right shape or size for Christian. But I could tell by the shape of it that it was Christian. We saw him and we broke down.”
It has been a year since the disappearance of Christian Atsu was announced following an earthquake in Turkey. The former Black Stars player was trapped under the rubble for about three days before he was found lifeless on February 8, 2023.