Ghana paid tribute to footballer Christian Atsu this Friday, who died in Turkey following the devastating earthquakes that hit that country and Syria on 6 February, during a massive state funeral held in the Ghanaian parliament complex in Accra, the country’s capital.
“Lie down before me today the mortal remains of a beloved father and husband. I didn’t know that morning that God would call you home,” Atsu’s widow Maria Claire Rupio said during her speech, according to local media, before her voice broke and the player’s sister had to finish reading the speech. “In life, I love you dearly. In death, I do the same. It breaks my heart to lose you,” reads the text prepared by Rupio, who came accompanied by his three children with the footballer.
Important personalities came to pay homage to the deceased, considered a national hero by Ghanaians, including the country’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, accompanied by several ministers of his government. They were also present at the funeral service. several players of the Ghana national football team, popularly known by the nickname of “Black Stars” (black stars).
