I still believe Atsu is alive – Wife speaks

Wife of Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu, Marie-Claire Rupio, is still positive her husband is alive though his whereabouts are yet to be accounted for.

In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the partner of the former Newcastle player is hopeful Atsu is alive.

31 year old Atsu’s whereabouts remain unknown after the building housing his apartment collapsed after getting hit by an earthquake that struck on Monday, February 6 in Turkey and Syria.

He was reported to be buried under earthquake rubble but got pulled out alive and was hospitalized on February 7 but that report has been refuted by multiple officials of Hatayspor (Atsu’s Turkish club) including the club doctor Gurbey Kahveci and coach Volkan Demirel 11 hours later.

Despite few people surviving after being buried under earthquake rubble after 81 hours, Atsu’s wife remains optimistic.

“I still pray, and believe that he is alive. I appeal for the Hatayspor club, the Turkish authorities, and the British government, to send out the equipment to get people out of the rubble – especially my partner and father of my children. They need the equipment to get them out – they can’t get that deep without the equipment. And time is running out” she said.

Atsu married Culpo in 2012 and have three children together.

Meanwhile Andre Ayew who shared 7 years with Atsu at the Black Stars from 2012 to 2019, remains optimistic when he spoke to Skysports.

“With Christian’s [Atsu] situation, it’s been difficult last few days.

“We are trying to speak to each other.”

As players, we have been trying to speak to each other, trying to get hold of the family, trying to know what’s happening.

“We are very sad and praying that he will be good and okay.

“The whole of Ghana is praying for him to be good and okay.

It’s a very difficult moment for us.

In Ghana, he was a great national team asset and we wish him well.

“You can’t really show what you really feel.

“It’s inside you and it is difficult. When you think about it know the people involved, people whom I am close to.

It’s hard, sad, difficult. You don’t know what to think. You realize that in this world, everything can go in one second. There are so many things going through your head.

“We are behind him. We keep believing.

I am someone who believes to the end. I believe everything is possible with God. “Hopefully he will be okay and his family will be relieved and the whole of Ghana will be.”

Andre Ayew spent one year in Turkey playing on loan for Fenerbahce in the 2018/2019 season.

He shared his sympathizes for the victims affected by the earthquakes in the European country.

“I am very sad and down. For such a beautiful country, and beautiful people, it’s difficult.

“There are no words to describe how we all feel. Not just me personally, but everyone.

And for the other families out there in Turkey, we are praying for them and hope they get the maximum of people safe.

For all the Turkish people, they know what I feel for the country.

I am with them. May God bless them and give them the heart to sustain this difficult moment.