Soccer Birthdays – January 10

Christian Atsu (pictured above)

A Ghanaian-born (1992) attacking winger who played for ten teams in his career, as well as garnishing 65 caps and playing in the 2014 World Cup and numerous Africa Cup of Nations fixtures. His longest stint was four years at Newcastle United. He perished during the Turkey-Syria earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023 when his residential building collapsed, leaving behind a wife and three children. May he rest in peace.

Marouane Chamakh

Although born in 1984 in Tonneins, a small agricultural community once known as the tobacco capital of France, Marouane competed internationally for Morocco due to his parentage. A pure forward, he was widely regarded for smart link-up play and his heading ability. He played professionally for Bordeaux for nine seasons before spending the next six years bouncing between English Premier League clubs like Arsenal, West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Emmanuel Frimpong

Born in Ghana in 1992, Frimpong’s family moved to England when he was young and he began his youth development with Arsenal. A midfielder blessed with tremendous pace and stamina, his trajectory was sadly curtailed by injury, and he played for nine clubs over a six-year professional career that lasted from 2011 through 2017, having never scored a goal.