Deceased Black Stars winger Christian Atsu is being mourned by Ghanaians and the football world following his sudden departure after being trapped under rubble for many days due to the earthquake in Turkey.
The 31-year-old would well be remembered by many Ghanaians particularly football lovers for his swift play from the right wing. He won the hearts of Ghanaians right from the beginning of his international career where he capped a wonderful debut with a goal against Lesotho in 2012.
His ability to take on defenders with ease and score from tight angles even earned him the “Ghana Messi” tag as well.
While Atsu is hailed as one of Ghana’s finest-ever wingers, little is said about how he touched the hearts of many off the pitch.
He was a friend of the vulnerable and a rescuer of the less privileged.
In 2019, Atsu paid for the release of one Peter Enin, a visually impaired man who had been sentenced over an undisclosed criminal offence.
Atsu was touched by the fact that prisons in Ghana lacked the tools to make the place convenient for persons living with disability.
Through the Crime Check Foundation, he paid for the release of 10 inmates who had been sentenced due to petty thefts.
The specific crime of some of these guilty people were the stealing of food and abandoned aluminium items.
The former Newcastle winger responded by relieving them of their punishment with the payment.
A lactating mother together with her two daughters who were sentenced to three months imprisonment were released after the intervention of Christian Atsu.
The three had pleaded guilty after they were found to have stolen corn to fend for themselves. According to Crime Check Foundation, the estimated amount of the stolen food was just about 10 cedis but Atsu had to pay about GHC1,000 to be sure the ladies were freed.
Atsu was not only passionate about rescuing prisoners, but he provided football boots to young footballers who were financially marginalised.