2023 AFCON: Baba Rahman reveals reasons for missing out on Ghana squad

Ghana defender Abdul Baba Rahman has explained the reason behind his decision to withdraw from the national squad for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The former Chelsea left-back clarified that his decision is solely based on his commitment to recovering from persistent injuries and ensuring he can give his best for the nation in the future.

Despite being initially named in Chris Hughton’s provisional 55-man squad, Rahman did not make the final 27-man roster set to represent the Black Stars at the AFCON tournament.

In a statement shared on X (Twitter), he emphasised that representing his country has always been the pinnacle of his career, and every time he wore the national shirt, he gave his all.

“I just wanted to say that the decision to opt out of the AFCON was solely based on footballing reasons and nothing else. Playing for my country will always be the highest point of my career, and every time I have been lucky to wear the shirt I have given my all,” Rahma explained.

“The last few years I have had to battle injuries and recovery times, and I feel that it’s best in the interest of my career and that of the team to only play when I don’t have to think about recovery or pain. That way I can always give my best to the team,” he added.

Rahma acknowledged the challenges he has faced in recent years, battling injuries and recovery times. He expressed the belief that it’s in the best interest of both his career and the national team for him to play when he is not dealing with recovery or pain.

“I would be cheering the team and pushing them on to try to win us the AFCON we all desire. But as of now let’s all support anyone the manager picks because the most important thing is Ghana, which is bigger than any individual,” Rahman concluded in his post.

As the Black Stars gear up for the AFCON, they will begin camping in Kumasi on Tuesday, facing Namibia in the coming days as part of their preparations.

The Black Stars are drawn into Group A alongside Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique. The tournament is set to kick off on January 13 and conclude on February 11, 2024.