Sports

‘Don’t let Christian Atsu’s name die’, wife of late Ghanaian footballer pleads

Published

9 months ago

August 14, 2023

Marie-Claire Rupio, the wife of late Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu, who lost his life six months ago in the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, has called on Ghanaian authorities not to let his name and legacies perish.

Rupio, who spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, said she hoped the name of the former Chelsea and Newcastle midfielder would not be buried and forgotten by the West African country, as well as the football world.

Rupio, who had three children for Atsu, said it was important for his memory and legacies to be maintained as he had impacted the lives of many in his short life.

“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,” Rupio said.

“I just hope that his name will never go away. He helped a lot of charities, even in the UK. 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”, she added.

Atsu, who was only 31 years old at the time of his death in February, was one of over 50,000 victims of the earthquakes that rocked parts of southern Turkey and Syria.

He was found dead under the rubble of his home in Antakya on 18 February, almost two weeks after the quakes.

According to Rupio, she had spoken to Atsu a day before the disaster following his goal for his team in a match against Kasimpasa, and congratulated him on scoring the only goal of the match, only to hear the devastating news the following day.

“I didn’t believe that it could happen in a place wherehe would be. 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.”

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.