Baba Rahman, the Ghanaian left-back who plays for PAOK in Greece, has announced on Twitter that he will not be part of the Black Stars squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Rahman said that his decision was based on football reasons and nothing else. He said that he wanted to focus on his club career and avoid jeopardizing further injuries that have hampered his progress in recent years.
“Playing for my country will always be the highest point of my career, and every time I have been lucky enough to wear the shirt, I have given it my all,” he wrote. “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.”
“The life span of a footballer is very short, and sometimes we have to make these tough calls for the general interest of the nation we love the most and that of our career to enable longevity,” he added.
Rahman said that he would be cheering on the team and pushing them on to attempt to win the trophy that Ghana has been waiting for since. He also urged the fans to support whoever the manager selects for the tournament.
“I would be cheering the team on and pushing them on to attempt to win us the AFCON we all desire. But as of now, let’s all support anyone the manager chooses because the most important thing is Ghana, which is bigger than any individual,” he concluded.
Rahman concluded his message by wishing God’s blessings on Ghana and praying for the country’s greatness and strength.
