Baba Rahman prioritising fitness over Black Stars return

Defender Baba Rahman has promised to play for Ghana again but will only return to the national set-up when he feels entirely ready.

The 30-year-old's most recent outing for the Black Stars came in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Central African Republic last September, when he was jeered by some corners of the ground in Kumasi.

But Rahman, who plays his club football in Greece, stresses that his absence stems from a desire to look after his body rather than his treatment that day.

"It's a personal decision to take a break (from Ghana) to concentrate on my fitness because I've not had a great time with injuries," the left-back tells BBC Sport Africa.

"When I joined PAOK last year, I just thought it was wise to stay away a bit from international football to get my fitness back."

Between January 2017 and September 2020, the left-back spent an agonising total of 999 days on the sidelines after suffering a series of serious injuries, including twice rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament.

He returned to feature in the 2021 Afcon and 2022 Fifa World Cup campaigns, which both ended in group-stage exits.

"Fans are asking me all the time to come back to play for Ghana but I think I need to take care of my health before everything right now," Rahman adds.

"People know about my injury history and it has really been a difficult few years. I just want to enjoy my club football again and then I know my international career will take off again too."

Confidence in Black Stars

Rahman insists that he still has a strong relationship with the Black Stars and their supporters, and that he will be firmly getting behind the national side again for the upcoming must-win 2025 Afcon qualifiers against Angola and Niger.

"I watch every Ghana game from minute one until the final whistle," he says.

"Even before the line-up comes up I am checking all the time how preparations are going. I speak to some of the guys also in the camp."

However, the four-time continental champions need other results to go in their favour in Group F if they are to reach the finals in Morocco next year, as they will be eliminated if Sudan pick up a point from their two remaining games.

A string of injury withdrawals have further dented Ghana's chances, but Rahman remains optimistic about their long-term hopes.

"I honestly think the guys have been a bit unlucky recently," Rahman says.

"We have some really, really exciting young players in terms of what they can do on the ball and off the ball. We have good prospects too.

"I still have confidence in them."

The Black Stars are faring better in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, sitting level on points with Comoros at the top of Group I after four games.

Having played in Qatar two years ago, Rahman is optimistic of making it to the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

"Of course I think about playing in another World Cup and I think Ghana is on the right path to qualify," he says.

"At the moment I'm just concentrating on getting healthy, getting as many games in my legs as possible for PAOK. Then I'll see what happens in the future."

Premier League suitors
Rahman has been playing some of the best football of career with PAOK, registering six goals and four assists in all competitions last season as his team won the Greek Super League and made it to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Conference League.

In the current campaign he has already scored five times in 18 outings, form which has attracted interest from Premier League clubs.

West Ham and Everton are reportedly among those circling ahead of the January transfer window.

The defender featured against Manchester United in the Europa League last week, and that outing at Old Trafford felt particularly poignant despite a 2-0 defeat.

It represented a return to the sort of stage Rahman promised to grace frequently when he joined Chelsea from Augsburg in 2015.

"These big games in the big stadiums, they make you who you are and show your quality to the world," says Rahman.

"I've competed in many big stadiums in the world and love having this opportunity."

'Owing' Chelsea

Rahman spent eight years on the books at Stamford Bridge but only made 23 first-team appearances for the Blues amid a series of loan spells and his injuries.

"I am sad things didn't work out at Chelsea," he reflects.

"I just had so many bad injuries whilst I was there, and because I wasn't 100% fit I wasn't able to give my absolute best."

The Ghanaian picks out the “incredible” Eden Hazard as the best player he has featured alongside, but it is a member of the Chelsea backroom team who has had the biggest impact on his career.

"I owe them a lot because it was Dr Paco [Biosca, ex-Chelsea medical director] who convinced me not to retire after my second ACL injury," he reveals.

Rahman came close to hanging up his boots in 2019 following that injury, having only returned from another severe knee injury the year before.

"It had taken me 18 months to come back and when the doctor told me I had another ACL injury I decided that I had had enough," he recalls.

"I told my family I was quitting.

"But Dr Paco said that he had seen other players come back and promised that if I was patient and mentally strong that I could do it too. I slept on it and then decided I wanted to fight for my career.

"I am grateful that football has given me a second chance. I'm just trying to enjoy it to last moment."