Former Chelsea footballer Acu was pulled from the ruins of the building after the earthquake in Turkey / Diena

The footballer of the Ghana national team plays in the Turkish club “Hatayspor” of Antakya.

A club spokesman told Turkish media on Monday that Acu was believed to be in a building destroyed by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks that struck southeast Turkey and neighboring Syria and killed more than 5,000 people.

There was no word on Acu’s whereabouts and condition overnight until the GFA posted an update on its Twitter account on Tuesday, saying “we have received positive news that Acu has been rescued”.

Acu received medical attention, but GFA did not provide further details.

Acu, 31, joined Hatayspor from the southern Turkish city of Antakya last year.

The earthquake struck on Monday morning and was centered in the Kahramanmara province of southeastern Turkey. It was also felt in Cairo, but even more damage was caused by several aftershocks.

More than 6,000 buildings have collapsed in Turkey alone, and rescuers are scrambling to find survivors in the freezing temperatures.

Turkish officials say 1,500 buildings were destroyed in Hatay province, just southwest of the quake’s epicenter and home to Hatayspor.