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Christian Atsu’s partner ‘hopes his name will never go away’ after losing life in Turkey earthquakes
Christian Atsu’s partner Marie-Claire Rupio says she “hopes his name will never go away”, six months after his tragic death.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Rupio has spoken about the former Newcastle United and Ghana midfielder, who lost his life in the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.
The earthquakes claimed more than 50,000 lives with Atsu, 31, found dead under the rubble of his home in Antakya on 18 February, almost two weeks after the quakes.
He and Rupio had three children together, aged nine, six and three at the time of his loss.
“For me, it’s very important that his name is still there, especially for the children, that he was known, that he was loved by everybody,” she says.
“I just hope that his name will never go away.”
Speaking to the media for the first time since his passing, Rubio describes the confusion over whether Atsu was safe, hearing about developments on the radio and the impact his death has had on her and their children.
‘I was shocked, it was hard to believe’Atsu was in Turkey having signed for Hatayspor last September, while his family remained in Newcastle.
Rupio last spoke with him on Saturday, 4 February, and because his team were playing Kasimpasa the next day, he planned to speak with her again on the Monday.
Atsu scored the game’s only goal in stoppage time and his wife messaged to congratulate him. His reply to thank her would be the last contact they had.
“I didn’t believe that it could happen in a place [where] he would be,” she said. “As a human being, you think this can’t happen to you or anybody you love.
“I was like ‘he’s fine and he will call’. But then after a while his sister called and told me that his building had totally collapsed. I was shocked, it was hard to believe.”
Subsequent news reports created confusion over what had happened with Atsu, who made 121 appearances for Newcastle between 2016 and 2021.
On 7 February his club’s vice-president said he had been “removed from the wreckage with injuries”.
However, the following day his agent Nana Sechere said that his whereabouts were yet to be confirmed.
Rupio then told BBC News she believed her husband was still alive and appealed for more equipment to clear the rubble.
“I didn’t really read any news,” said Rupio. “I relied on his agent, Nana, and his sister.
“Our children heard from their school that he has been found and then they came home and heard on the radio again that he hasn’t been found. It wasn’t nice, but I told them he might be found because you still want to believe [in] the positive outcome.”
Being ‘the rock’ for their children
Christian Atsu was known as ‘father’ by some of the children he supported in his native GhanaSechere was in the Hatay province to monitor the search for Atsu and later confirmed he had been found dead, after calling Rupio in the early hours of the morning to inform her.
“I couldn’t really cry because I was in shock,” she said. “I didn’t want to believe [it was true]. I think my body just shut down.“The next morning the children had football and I didn’t want to take that from them. After [that] I had to sit them down and explain it to them.
“It’s not easy. It’s not something you would wish on anybody.”
The pair met while Atsu was playing for Porto and he earned a move to Chelsea in 2013, although he did not make a first-team appearance for the Blues.
He had loan spells with Everton and Bournemouth before joining Newcastle, who Rupio said have “helped me in every single way they could help”, for which she is “very grateful”.
She added that the Professional Footballers’ Association have helped her find a therapist while her eldest son has had counselling at his school.
Rupio said that “he is the main one who is struggling because he has more memories” and is “not really ready to talk about it”.
Her younger son has talked about his father more and has been asking questions that “sometimes are very hard to answer”.
Their daughter recently turned four and on her birthday “she asked when her dad is calling”. “You have to be strong,” she added. “You’re allowed to show emotions, obviously, but you can’t fall down. “You have to be the rock now for everybody.
I do break down a lot of times, so it’s not easy to balance everything.” ‘He wasn’t just talented, he’s been a good person as well’
Atsu made his international debut in 2012 and went on to win 65 caps for Ghana, helping the Black Stars reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final.
Ghana’s all-time record goalscorer Asamoah Gyan was among the many to pay tribute to his former team-mate, and he is remembered for what he did off the field as much as he did on it.
Atsu supported an orphanage called Becky’s Foundation, helping to turn a children’s home in the Ghanaian coastal town of Senya Beraku into a school, and he was also a regular visitor, with some of the children calling him “father”.
A traditional week-long period of mourning was held after his body was returned to Ghana and he was honoured with a state funeral in the capital Accra, with Ghana’s president among hundreds of people who paid their last respects.
“He helped a lot of charities, even in the UK,” said his widow.
“He’s helped a lot of people in Ghana.
You can’t really talk just about [his] talent, he’s been a good person as well. “
The people who are close do know that, even from the outside as well, they have seen it.
“He’s built a school for children in Ghana and that’s something that not everybody would do, if they have money.”
Credit: BBC.com
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, together with members of the Police Management Board (POMAB), on April 17, 2026, decorated nineteen (19) senior officers who have been promoted to their next ranks based on the recommendations of the Police Council and approval of the President, John Dramani Mahama.
The ceremony, held at the National Police Headquarters in Accra, forms part of efforts to recognise merit, dedication, and long-standing service within the Ghana Police Service, while strengthening leadership across key operational and administrative levels.
The officers promoted from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) to Commissioner of Police (COP) are Dr. Luke Asue-In-Yeng Zakpaa, Mr. Frederick Agyei, Mr. Duuti Tuaruka, Mr. Arthur Osei-Akoto, Mr. Darko Offei Lomotey, Mr. Eric Ken Winful, Mr. Barnabas Nambont Nasumong, and Mr. Desmond Owusu Boampong.
The IGP and members of POMAB congratulated the officers and urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties.
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
