Canada defender Sam Adekugbe heads the ball in a drill during practice at the World Cup in Doha, Qatar during on Thursday, November 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Canadian soccer player Sam Adekugbe was one of the lucky ones. He managed to escape earthquake-ravaged Antakya in Turkey.
Some of his teammates and staff at his club Hatayspor are still missing. The 28-year-old from Calgary is now safe in Istanbul with Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson, who plays for Besiktas. But he tells a harrowing tale of being caught in the quake.
Adekugbe was relaxing at home with some teammates after a Turkish league game Sunday evening. The quake began as he started cleaning up his home when they left.
He went outside to find the road split and people yelling. After seeing the damage at his home, he drove the 20 minutes to the team training ground, seeing the devastation along the way – collapsed buildings, fires, people crying, digging in rubble.
Adekugbe says people are still missing, including the team’s sporting director. There is confusion over the whereabouts of Ghana international Christian Atsu, who was at Adekugbe’s home that night.
Antakya is located 1,100 kilometres southeast of Istanbul in a region bordered by the Mediterranean and Syria.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2023
