Ghana lose injured defender Baba

Port-Gentil (Gabon) (AFP) – Ghana defender Abdul Rahman Baba has left the team’s Africa Cup of Nations base in Port-Gentil and faces a potentially lengthy absence after suffering a serious-looking knee injury against Uganda on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old left-back was forced off in the first half of the Black Stars’ opening Group D game in Port-Gentil, which they won 1-0 thanks to an Andre Ayew penalty.

A Ghana FA statement on Thursday confirmed the player, who is currently on loan at Bundesliga side Schalke from Chelsea, would travel to Germany “to undergo further tests and possible surgery.”

Tests in Gabon’s capital Libreville on Wednesday confirmed that Baba had suffered “a rupture of the meniscus and a particular tear of the anterior cruciate ligament with fluid collection in the left knee.”

On the margins of the their training session on Thursday, Ghana’s team doctor added that right-back Harrison Afful is struggling with a likely mild bout of malaria.

The player still participated in the part of the session that was open to the media.

It was not a smooth day for the Ghana team — after going to the wrong training ground and then attempting to use a nearby sports club, they eventually arrived at the pitch beside Port-Gentil’s main stadium where they should have been all along.

However, when they got there they were left waiting around for an hour as Uganda trained on the same pitch.

Avram Grant’s side face Mali in their second group game in Port-Gentil on Saturday knowing a win will take them through to the quarter-finals.