GFA to compensate Rahman as injury ends his season prematurely
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is considering working out a compensation package for Black Stars defender Baba Rahman whose season may be over after sustaining a serious knee injury which doctors say could keep him out of football for up to seven months.
Advertisement
Rahman, 22, lasted only 37 minutes during Ghana’s group opener against Uganda last week after injuring his left leg in an attempt to latch onto a pass. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test conducted on him the following day in Libreville and further examination revealed the left-back had damaged his meniscus and sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury with fluid collecting in his left knee.
He subsequently, underwent surgery last Monday at the Hessingpark-Klink hospital in Augsburg, with the operation lasting for about two hours under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bonisch, one of the world’s leading experts in such injuries.
GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi told the Graphic Sports that Rahman was likely miss about seven months of action to recuperate after the successful surgery.
Mr Nyantakyi said Rahman’s predicament, apart from being career-threatening, could lead to lost in remuneration for lack of action over a long period.
As a result, he said the FA would consider providing him with a compensation package as a goodwill gesture, in addition to the $15,000 bonus he and his teammates received for qualifying for the quarter-finals.
“Baba Rahman’s injury is an example of injuries that could end his career. I’m told he would be out for about seven months.
“And in most clubs if you don’t play beyond two months or three months, you would be put on half salary. Or in some cases they would put you out of salary if you don’t have an insurance to underwrite the salaries for you,” said the FA president.
Mr Nyantakyi said the FA would seriously consider providing insurance cover for players as motivation to play for the national team and also provide some financial cushion for those who may face a long layoff due to injuries while playing for Ghana.
Currently, the Stars have been insured by Ghanaian insurance firm GLICO for this year’s AFCON tournament.
“The FA provided some compensation, about $5,000 to Otto Addo when he was injured while playing for Ghana. Ben Koufie, who was FA chairman then also visited him to show concern. Althoough the money was a token, the gesture was good.
“We did a similar thing for Jerry Akaminko who sustained a career-threatening injury in the run up to the 2014 World Cup and we’re not opposed to a similar thing for Baba Rahman,” Mr Nyantakyi told the Graphic Sports last Monday at the Stars’ hotel
