ACCRA: Ghana international winger Christian Atsu is among those missing after the collapse of an apartment building in Hatay, Turkiye, following Monday’s huge earthquake.
He scored a 97th minute winner for Turkish top-flight side Hatayspor on Sunday night as they beat Kasımpasa 1-0, but just hours later was reported missing following the 7.8 magnitude quake that brought down whole apartment blocks in several Turkish and Syrian cities.
Hatayspor vice president Mustafa Ozat told Turkish TV station Play Spor: “Christian Atsu and (club sporting director) Taner Savut are still under the rubble.”
He told BeIN Sports several players and officials had been rescued and the club was working to help others.
Atsu, 31, played in the Premier League for Newcastle United and Everton, on loan from Chelsea, but joined Hatayspor in September.
Newcastle United, who Atsu helped to promotion from the Championship in the 2016/17, tweeted they were “praying for some positive news.” Chelsea also tweeted their prayers.
“We pray for Ghana International Christian Atsu and victims of the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria,” the Ghana Football Association tweeted. “We remain hopeful for positive news.”
Atsu was last selected to play for Ghana in 2019, but has not officially retired from international football.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the survivors, and we pray that our fellow Ghanaian, Christian Atsu, is found safe and sound,” Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo tweeted.
Former Newcastle United winger Atsu missing after Turkiye earthquake
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Former Newcastle United winger Atsu missing after Turkiye earthquake
- “Praying for some positive news,” Atsu’s former club Newcastle said in a social media post
- Huge earthquake has killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands more on Monday
Augsburg hand Bayern Munich first Bundesliga defeat since March
- Hiroki Ito’s opener gave the defending champions an early lead
- Augsburg fought back with two goals in six second-half minutes from Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo
BERLIN: Augsburg stunned Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich 2-1 on Saturday to hand their Bavarian rivals a first league defeat since March.
Hiroki Ito’s opener gave the defending champions an early lead but Augsburg fought back with two goals in six second-half minutes from Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund could cut the gap to Bayern to eight points with a victory at Union Berlin later on Saturday.
Bayern have been unstoppable this season. They had recorded the best opening half of a season in Bundesliga history and dropped just four of a possible 54 points in 18 games.
Favourites Bayern looked set for a routine victory when Ito headed in a Michael Olize corner after 23 minutes.
Unfancied Augsburg last won a match in early December but fought back when Chaves made the most of a mistake from Bayern’s back-up goalie Jonas Urbig to level with 76 minutes gone.
Massengo then finished off a superb team move to put Augsburg in front and on track for their first win in Munich since 2015.
Olize hit the post deep in stoppage time but Augsburg held on for a memorable victory.
Elsewhere, surprising Hoffenheim tightened their grip on a top-four spot with a come-from-behind 3-1 win at struggling Eintracht Frankfurt.
Frankfurt, who sacked coach Dino Toppmoeller last Sunday, took the lead through Arnaud Kalimuendo with 18 minutes gone.
Hoffenheim turned the game round with three goals in 13 second-half minutes.
Max Moerstedt and Ozan Kabak scored, while Hoffenheim, relegation battlers last season, forced Aurele Amenda into an own goal to solidify their hold on third spot, three points behind second-placed Dortmund.
RB Leipzig cruised past Heidenheim 3-0 to move up to fourth, thanks to goals from Ridle Baku, Antonio Nusa and captain David Raum.
Former Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez scored the only goal as Bayer Leverkusen beat Werder Bremen 1-0 at home, breaking a three game losing streak.
The victory took the 2024 Bundesliga champions up to sixth.
Mainz beat Wolfsburg 3-1 to continue their recent resurgence. Rock-bottom at Christmas, Mainz have claimed nine points from their past six matches to climb into the relegation playoff spot.
