On February 5,2023, Christian Atsu and his teammates celebrated in the locker room after the Ghanaian secured Hatayspor a critical 1-0 victory over Kasimpasa with a late free kick.
In addition to giving the squad a victory, the goal lifted the team out of the bottom three and gave Volkan Demirel, the team’s under-fire manager, some much-needed breathing room.
After Atsu was taken off the field by his teammates, the celebration got underway, and Demirel joined in.
The celebrations continued in the locker room, where Atsu danced to the players’ chanting of his name.
Christian Atsu postponed a flight to England that night so that he could celebrate the victory.
Sadly, on February6,2023, a powerful earthquake rocked Hatay, Turkey, trapping Atsu for more than a week in his wrecked flat.
On February18, his lifeless body was found, adding to the more than 40,000 fatalities from the earthquake.