Owner and bankroller of Cheetah FC, Abdul Hayye Yartey says he nearly blocked Christian Atsu from participating at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
Atsu, who received his first call-up to the national team in 2012 became one of the best wingers in Africa.
Before the 2015 AFCON, the former Newcastle and Chelsea player had played at the 2013 edition.
However, eye brows were raised when the then Everton winger was included in the squad for the 2015 edition due to his performance but in the midst of adversity, Atsu had a tournament to remember after beating the likes Yaya Toure, Gervinho and others to win the best player of the competition despite Ghana’s failure to lift the title.
“When he was going to the AFCON, the tournament he actually won the best player and the best goal, honestly, for me I didn’t want Christian to go because he was not performing well with his club Everton. I was like you don’t need to go and disgrace yourself.
“He told me to look at the trend. He said I was the player during my time with the junior side of FC Porto, best player at Rio Ave youth side, Vitesse had very good wingers but I became the best player. I am going to the AFCON and I will be the best player. I just need you to pray for me and be around me,” Atsu’s local mandger, Mr. Yartey told Tv3.
Christian Atsu was a Ghanaian player who died on February 18 following a tragic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
He had been on the books of Turkish side Hatayspor and tributes have poured in for the 31-year-old ex-Ghana international since it was revealed that his body had been removed from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building.
