The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has honoured the memory of the late Christian Atsu on what would have been his 33rd birthday, January 10, 2025.
Atsu, a former Black Stars player, tragically passed away at the age of 31 in the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in 2023, claiming over 46,000 lives.
At the time, Atsu was playing for Turkish club Hatayspor and had scored a dramatic 97th-minute winner in their 1-0 victory over Kasimpasa just days before the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
The disaster led to the collapse of his apartment building in Antakya, Hatay, and Atsu’s body was found 12 days later, buried under the rubble.
As a tribute on his birthday, the GFA shared a heartfelt message to honour the late footballer’s legacy:
“On what would have been your birthday, we remember and celebrate the incredible person and player you were, Christian Atsu. Your legacy with the #BlackStars lives on.”
🎂 On what would have been your birthday, we remember and celebrate the incredible person and player you were, Christian Atsu. Your legacy with the #BlackStars lives on. 🕯️❤️ pic.twitter.com/UisfSd2ueq
— 🇬🇭 Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) January 10, 2025
Chelsea in a social media post said, “Today we remember Christian Atsu on his birthday. ”
Today we remember Christian Atsu on his birthday. 💙🙏 pic.twitter.com/TZyt2FSKE8
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 10, 2025
Newcastle United also said, “Today we remember Christian Atsu on his birthday. We miss you, Christian.”
Today we remember Christian Atsu on his birthday.
We miss you, Christian. 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/1fSPM3btyV
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) January 10, 2025
A number of other organizations, including CAF, Chelsea, and Atsu’s previous clubs, also paid their respects to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) best player.
After transferring to Chelsea from Porto in 2013, Atsu enjoyed loan spells at Everton and Bournemouth before playing a key role in Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship to the Premier League in 2016.
He made the move permanent in 2017. In total, Atsu earned 65 caps for the Ghana national team.