World Cup qualifiers: Black Stars Coach Otto Addo confirms Baba Rahman's refusal to rejoin team

Baba Rahman

Head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has revealed that efforts to bring defender Baba Abdul Rahman back to the team have been unsuccessful.

Rahman's decision not to join the squad for Ghana’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic is attributed to the personal attacks and criticisms he has faced over the years.

Addressing the media at a press conference held at the offices of the Ghana Football Association in Accra on Wednesday, May 29, Coach Addo explained Rahman's stance.

“I spoke with him but he doesn’t want to come back… I don’t know what happened but I think it affected him and his family. Personal attacks, criticisms… if it is tactical or performance wise, that’s okay but to attack him personally is not good,” he stated.

Addo further expressed that Rahman's absence is a significant loss for the team. “This game we will need him but I spoke to him and he was very sure that he was not coming back and it is our fault that he is not coming back,” he added.

Despite his talents, Rahman has been a target of criticism whenever he plays for the national team. The most recent incident occurred at the Baba Yara Stadium, where fans booed him during Ghana's match against the Central African Republic in their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in September 2023.

Rahman, who has earned 50 caps for the Black Stars, made his debut in March 2013. Currently playing for Greek Super League club PAOK, Rahman joined the team in July 2023 and has since scored seven goals and provided five assists. The 29-year-old was one of four young players called up for the crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier against Sudan.