Why Baba Rahman Opted Out of AFCON 2023: Long Serving Ghana Defender Explains His Decision

• Baba Rahman has opened up on rejecting an AFCON invite with Ghana
• The Greece-based defender was not included in the Black Stars squad
• Ghana will face Cape Verde in their opening game at AFCON this month

Ghanaian defender, Baba Abdul Rahman has explained his decision to reject an invite for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The former Chelsea left-back was initially named in the 55-man provisional squad by Chris Hughton but failed to make the final 27-man team.

Before the announcement of Ghana's AFCON squad, Rahman was reported to have declined a call from the technical team of the Black Stars.

In a message posted on social media, the Greece-based player stated the decision to not play at AFCON was 'solely based on footballing reasons' and no other cause.

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"Playing for my country will always be the highest point of my career and every time I have been lucky to wear the shirt, I have given my all.

"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 career to enable longevity."

Rahman ready to support Ghana at AFCON

Rahman's last appearance for the Black Stars saw fans booing the left-back during the game against the Central African Republic in September.

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However, the Ghanaian has prayed for the success of his country at the tournament, confirming he would be cheering them on and pushing them to try and win the AFCON title.

"But as of now, let’s all support anyone the manager picks because the most important thing is Ghana - which is bigger than any individual."

Ghana have been drawn into Group B at AFCON alongside Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique, as reported by Pulse.

Chris Hughton names Ghana squad for AFCON

Sports Brief also previously reported that Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been dropped from Ghana's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The 30-year-old, who is recovering from an injury he sustained in October last year, failed to return to fitness ahead of the tournament, which is a big blow for his country.