Emotions rent the air as Christian Atsu Twasam was laid to rest in Ghana, his home country on March 17, 2023. Atsu was a Ghanaian professional footballer who earned recognition for his impressive wing and attacking midfield skills, as well as his playing as a left-back. He played professionally from a young age until his passing in February 2023.
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There is no doubt that the professional footballer had a thriving career, but other than that, he had the desire to help, care for, and support the people and communities he was connected to.
Here are five things Atsu will be remembered for.
Spirituality: The football legend was known to be a devout Christian who believed strongly in the divine power of God. He would usually post Bible quotations on his social media pages to encourage the faith of his Christian followers.
Charity: Atsu was loved due to his willingness to give without trumpeting his deeds on social media or via any other public medium. When his death was confirmed, popular Nigerian comedian Craze Clown revealed that the footballer had paid his fees throughout the university.
Whenever he was in Ghana for the off-season holidays, he made sure he brought along kits, boots and other items to support young footballers.
Also, in conjunction with Arms Around the Child, a global charity organisation, Christian Atsu was lending a helping hand to the less privileged in the society.
Ambassador: Christian Atsu was an ambassador for many charity organisations that catered for children. One of such organisation is Becky’s Foundation in Ghana which cares for orphans.
Loving Family: Christian Atsu met his wife for the first time in Portugal in 2012 when he was 20 years old and was playing for Porto, and married her that same year. His wife, Marie-Claire Rupio is a well-known author and media face from Hamburg, Germany, who bore him three children; two boys and a girl.
When speaking of his family to Tv3 Sports, Christian said: “I met my wife in Portugal and you can see we have a beautiful family.
“We’ve been together for nine to ten years and I just love her,” he added.
Promising Career: Atsu began his professional football career with Porto before going on loan with Rio Ave. In 2013, Chelsea signed him for a fee of £3.5 million, after which he had loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, and Malaga. Newcastle United then completed a permanent transfer for him in 2017. Following the end of his four-year contract at Newcastle United, Atsu moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al Raed Club and Turkey’s Hatayspor, where he died in the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake at the age of 31.
His family and friends are among those who hold him close to their hearts, but his legacy extends beyond them—he has fed many mouths, freed numerous prisoners, given hope to homeless people, and helped sponsor children’s education. Atsu’s legacy will live on through those he impacted and helped, and as such, he will be remembered for the love he gave.
