We all know how difficult it is to turn down a major competition like the FIFA World Cup, which is the pinnacle of world football. It is a footballer’s dream to play at the World Cup; it is so simple.
“Baba Rahman has family obligations, and last time, I appealed to the media to tone down the criticism. However, he is still reluctant to return due to what happened previously. But the door remains open for his return,” Otto Addo revealed to Ghanaians in August 2024 that he has tried everything within his power to convince Abdul Baba Rahman to return to the national team because he needs his services, but to no avail.
The PAOK left-back has been playing regularly in Greece in the last two seasons, but nobody thought he was going to return to the senior team again.
Baba, 31, decided not to play for Ghana again after being abused by fans at the Baba Yara on 7th September 2023 in the qualifiers for the 2023 AFCON when Ghana beat the Central African Republic 2-1. The performances from the entire team were so appalling to the extent that fans across the Baba Yara Sports Stadium singled out Baba and booed him any time he touched the ball in the 69 minutes he spent on the pitch.
The day was a difficult and unforgettable one for the former Asante Kotoko and Chelsea left back. What made it a sad and difficult one was that he was playing at his old home in front of his old fans in Kumasi.
The former Kotoko defender, after the game, announced that he has decided with his family and will not play for Ghana again due to the abuse he has suffered. The news was not shocking to Ghanaians because they never trusted him, as his mistakes had been letting the team down.
Baba’s hate started in the Qatar 2022 World Cup when Ghana lost 3-2 to Portugal. A pass from Bruno Fernandes was not dealt with properly by him as it slipped through his legs, which led Joao Felix to put Portugal in a 2-1 lead. Ghanaians complained bitterly of ineffectiveness that day, with many calling for him to be dropped in the subsequent games in Qatar.
73-year-old Portuguese head coach, Carlos Queiroz, on Sunday announced a 28-man squad for Ghana to prepare for the game against Wales in Cardiff. The squad included Baba Rahman, shockingly, and excluded Derrick Kohn, who impressed when Ghana lost 2-1 to Germany in Otto’s final game for the national team as the head coach.
Defenders Carlos Queiroz selected
| Player | Club /Positions | Age |
| Abdul Baba Rahman | PAOK, (LB) | 31 |
| Gideon Mensah | Auxerre, (LB) | 27 |
| Marvin Senaya | Auxerre, (RB) | 25 |
| Alidu Seidu | Rennes, (RB) | 25 |
| Abdul Mumin | Rayo Vallecano, (CB) | 27 |
| Jerome Opoku | Istanbul Basaksehir, (CB) | 27 |
| Jonas Adjetey | Wolfsburg, (CB) | 22 |
| Kojo Oppong Peprah | Nice, (CB) | 21 |
| Alexander Djiku | Spartak Moscow, (CB) | 31 |
Baba Rahman is 38 days older than Alexander Djiku, making him the oldest among the nine defenders Queiroz has selected for Ghana. It was exactly 990 days to the day Rahman was booed by fans at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium when he received the call-up.
His inclusion has been criticised by the majority of Ghanaians, as they prefer the 27-year-old Derrick Arthur Kohn of Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga.
Why I would have never returned if I were Baba Rahman
I would have emphatically said no if I were in the shoes of Baba Rahman just to avoid confusion around the team’s selection, which has been a perennial problem with many Ghanaians suspecting the GFA politburos of choosing players who are in their agencies.
Also, I would have respected the decision I made with my family because if things go awry in North America, they will be abused unnecessarily in the country.
The team, after suffering humiliations in recent tournaments, will need good vibes but not negativities. The local media have been dominated by Baba Rahman’s selection ahead of Derrick Kohn, and the PAOK defender should have thought long and hard about his return, which is not supported by the majority of Black Stars fans.
Ghana’s 28-man provisional squad
Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Joseph Anang (St Patrick’s Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Paul Reverson (Ajax).
Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Oppong Peprah (Nice), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre).
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City).
Forwards: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).
Baba Rahman’s journey with the Black Stars
Baba Rahman was first called up to the Black Stars in March 2013 by head coach James Kwesi Appiah in the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Sudan, where Ghana won 4-0. He was an unused substitute and needed to wait until September 2014 to make his long-awaited debut in Ghana’s 3-2 win over Togo in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers. He has won 51 caps and scored one goal in his 13-year experience with the Black Stars.
