Marie-Claire Rupio, the wife of Christian Atsu, has for the first time spoken as the search for the former Newcastle United winger continues.
The 31-year-old is yet to be found after a devastating earthquake that hit Turkey on Monday.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Atsu was found but it was later reported that the reports were false.
Despite the fears after more than 72 hours, Rupio remains hopeful, stating that she is praying and believes that Atsu is alive, despite being trapped under rubble for days.
“His agent is in Turkey and he is trying to get to the place where it happened. They know where the building is and they are trying to rescue everybody. They know that there are people still under the rubble but the problem is that they don’t have the equipment necessary to get him out. We don’t know where he is,” Rupio said to BBC.
“I still pray and believe he is alive,” she added.
Rupio, who is currently in Newcastle, also made a heartfelt appeal to Hatayspor, Turkish, and British authorities to provide the necessary equipment and resources to aid in the rescue of those affected by the earthquake.
Atsu’s club, Hatayspor, had announced that he had been rescued, but later corrected their statement, revealing that it was a case of mistaken identity.
