Baba Rahman cites injury concerns for Black Stars hiatus, not booing in Kumasi

Ghana defender Baba Rahman has explained his decision to take a break from the national team, the Black Stars.The 30-year-old stated that his decision was based on his injury history, not the boos he received during his last appearance for the national team.In May 2024, when head coach Otto Addo was asked why the PAOK left-back wasnt included in his squad, he mentioned that the booing had affected Rahman and his family, contributing to his decision to take a break.”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,” Rahman told 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.”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.”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.”The left-back, who endured 999 days on the sidelines between 2017 and 2020 due to multiple injuries, including two ACL tears, returned for the 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup, but both campaigns ended in early exits.