Christian Atsu to be buried today

The final funeral rites of late Black Stars player, Christian Atsu will be held today, Friday, March 17, 2023 at the forecourt of the State house.

People in the football fraternity across the world are expected to be at the State house to commiserate with the family of Atsu and pay their last respects. People in the entertainment industry, politicians, and others from all walks of life are also expected to be present.

The government had promised to offer a state-assisted burial for Christian Atsu.

Atsu’s one-week observation was held at the Adjiringanor Astro Turf in Accra on March 4 which attracted both former and current Black stars players.

The footballer died in a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit parts of Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.

Atsu’s lifeless body was retrieved from the wreckage in Turkey after an 11-storey building collapsed on him and others.

His body was brought to Ghana on Sunday, February 19, 2023, from Turkey.

Since then, government representatives, members of the football community, colleagues, supporters, and Ghanaians, in general, have been offering their condolences to the bereaved family as tributes to the hero continue to pour in.

Some former Black Stars players visited the family house of late Christian Atsu to sign the book of condolence opened in memory of the late footballer.

Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Agyeman Badu and Haminu Dramani were all present at the family house of Atsu in the early hours of Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

Christian Atsu Twasam (10 January 1992- 6 February 2023) was a Ghanaian professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, although he was also deployed as an attacking midfielder or left back.

Atsu began his career with Porto, also spending a season on loan at Rio Ave. In 2013, he was signed by Chelsea for £3.5 million, who subsequently loaned him to Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth and Málaga.

After spending the 2016–17 season on loan at Newcastle United, he completed a permanent transfer to the club in May 2017.

Following the end of his four-year contract he played for Al Raed in Saudi Arabia and Hatayspor in Turkey, where he died in the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake at age 31.

A full international with 65 caps from 2012 to 2019, Atsu represented Ghana 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.