'He is my friend, and I was looking forward to seeing him again' — Babajide on 'missing' star Atsu

Turkey-based Nigerian footballer David Babajide has shared his personal experience of the devastating Earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6.

The 7.7 magnitude quake has claimed over 15,000 lives and the death toll keeps rising as fresh reports come in thick and fast.

Babajide, who plies his trade in Turkey for Adana Dermispor in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH described the scene in the country as horrifying.

The 27-year-old also shared his initial reaction after he heard that Ghana's Christian Atsu was trapped in the earthquake rubble for hours.

“I was devastated initially because I feared for the worst. He is my friend, and I was looking forward to seeing him again on Sunday when we (Adana Dermispor) play host to his team (Hatayspor), the former Hatayspor winger told The PUNCH in an exclusive interview.

“I heard his whereabouts is unknown. I can’t imagine what he went through at that bad time. I’m happy he is still with us.

“I hope other individuals, not just sportsmen and women trapped, are all rescued too. Also, my condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the earthquake.”

Contrary to initial reports which claimed that Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble alive, it turns out that the initial reports were misleading as the whereabouts of the former Newcastle United man still remain a mystery.

WDN