Christian Atsu funeral today as thousands to gather in state ceremony for ex-Newcastle star killed in Turkey quake
FOOTBALL ace Christian Atsu will be laid to rest in Ghana today after he was killed in the horror Turkey earthquake.
The ex-Newcastle and Chelsea winger, 31, was found dead almost two weeks after a devastating 7.8 magnitude quake caused his apartment building to collapse in Antakya last month.
A state-assisted funeral will be held today for the football star in the Ghana’s capital, Accra, with thousands expected to file past the coffin to pay their respects.
A memorial service will be held after at the Forecourt of the State House for the dad-of-three and he is due to be buried in his hometown, Dogobome.
Ghana‘s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Atsu‘s devastated teammates are expected to attend.
Atsu’s body arrived back home in Ghana to a guard of honour the day after he was found dead in the earthquake’s rubble on February 18.
Soldiers carried his coffin – draped in the national flag – past a crowd of mourners on the tarmac.
The ex-Prem star played 65 times for Ghana‘s national team and helped his side reach the final of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
He had been due to fly out of Turkey hours before the quake struck at 4am local time on February 6.
But Atsu decided to stay with Hatayspor teammates after scoring the dramatic winner in a Super Lig match the day before.
The Turkish club, who Atsu signed with in September, initially said he had been rescued from his luxury apartment building.
But the team doctor then said he was still missing, and his agent and family members then spent more than a week in a desperate search.
His body was tragically found – 12 days after the horror 7.8-magnitude quake after confused earlier reports wrongly said he had been found alive amid the chaos.
Rescue workers discovered Atsu’s body where he was staying at Ronesans Residence – a 12-storey block of flats that toppled over in Antakya city in Hatay.
Atsu’s wife Marie-Claire Rupio and their three children joined fans marking a minute’s silence in Newcastle before the side’s Premier League tie against Liverpool last month.
He began his Prem career with Chelsea, before moving to Newcastle United and Everton.
More than 50,000 were killed in Turkey and Syria after two earthquakes hit within hours.
And freezing conditions and difficulty getting aid to remote areas is fuelled a further humanitarian disaster.
The Sun Earthquake Appeal has now raised more than £1.5 million to support the Red Cross.