Asamoah Gyan leads prayers for the survival of Ghana winger Christian Atsu, who is currently missing following an earthquake in Turkey.
Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor, is reportedly among thousands of victims trapped under rubble following a terrific earthquake which occurred in Turkey during the early hours of Monday.
After learning of the reports, the former Black Stars captain shared a photo of Christian Atsu on Twitter, captioning it with prayer emojis.
OH GOD. Plsssssssss???♀️?? pic.twitter.com/4MqhhGP9Gn
— ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3) February 6, 2023
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has also wished Christian Atsu luck in surviving the disaster, which has also threatened the life of Atsu’s club director Taner Savut.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Atsu and our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. We remain hopeful for positive news ?
— Ghana Football Association (@ghanafaofficial) February 6, 2023
Another former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah also reacted to devasting news, by praying for Turkey.
I stand with the people of Turkey in this difficult time. My condolences to the people who lost family and friends yesterday ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Inq97idiyC
— Stephen Appiah (@StephenAppiah) February 6, 2023
Malaga, Atsu’s former club, have also expressed concern while wishing him well as they await word on his safety.
Medios de comunicación de Turquía señalan que Christian Atsu, exjugador malaguista, se encuentra atrapado bajo escombros tras un terremoto de 7, 7 grados.
Nuestros pensamientos están con él y su familia en estos momentos de terrible angustia. pic.twitter.com/o1G9fKr7a6
— Málaga CF (@MalagaCF) February 6, 2023
According to reports, two of Atsu’s teammates Burak Öksüz and Bertuğ Yıldırım have been rescued.
The rescue team have urged all interested parties to give their best to save the lives of the victims.
Atsu scored a 97th minute free-kick as Hatayspor beat Kasımpaşa S.K. on Sunday.
As per official reports, over 1,300 individuals have lost their lives and about 6,000 more have been injured in the disaster.
A significant aftershock with a magnitude of 7.5 struck Turkey’s south hours after the initial quake, causing it to be felt again in Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan.