Abdul Rahman Baba’s career trajectory was altered by a severe knee injury suffered during Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations 2017 opener against Uganda in Franceville. He was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage after twisting on a poor playing surface.
Baba had been signed by Jose Mourinho in 2015 and made 15 Premier League appearances the season before the injury while on loan at Schalke 04 when the rupture occurred. In the 18 months prior to the injury he played 28 league games; over the following five and a half seasons he managed just 29 league appearances, underscoring the injury’s long-term impact. After the 2017 injury he remained at Chelsea for six and a half years without playing another minute for the club.
The left back has spoken openly about the toll of the recovery. “It would take a lot of time for me to talk about everything I experienced during those years,” he told ESPN. He described crushing lows, moments of solitude and even difficulty recognizing his reconstructed knee, saying that some days “it was difficult to put everything together – mind and psychology.”
Baba returned to regular action with Reading in 2020-21 and left Chelsea permanently in 2023 to sign for Greek club PAOK. Nine years after the injury, he has been recalled to the Black Stars by head coach Carlos Queiroz for the World Cup and is relishing a new role within the national setup.
Used largely as a backup by Queiroz, Baba has played one minute to date, entering in the 0-0 draw with England in Boston, while first-choice Gideon Mensah has emerged as a standout fullback. Baba said it is “nice” to be back and noted that many younger players now look to him for advice, a role reversal from when he was one of the squad’s youngest members, according to ESPN.
Off the pitch, Baba has taken a mentoring role with fullbacks Gideon Mensah and Marvin Senaya, the latter having committed to Ghana in March. He has made clear he will not let the 2017 injury define his career and is embracing what the source called an unexpected Indian summer with the Black Stars.
