Game time for Abdul Baba Rahman at Chelsea is something the Ghanaian relishes since joining from German Bundesliga side Augsburg in the summer transfer window.
And however sad the injuries to Kurt Zouma and John Terry are, this is a great opportunity for the former Kumasi Asante Kotoko player to show his character at the back of the defence for his Chelsea side.
An introduction in the English Premier League game against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge when the league Champions were leading by three goals to nil was one devoid of pressure.
Baba Rahman had to make three mistakes to have let the lead slip from his Chelsea side, an unthinkable scenario in a football game. The Ghanaian as usual cautiously did his part to help the Stamford Bridge outfit to a 5-1 victory. No harm. No foul [not in literal terms].
)
)
)
The UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday night and returns with a bang! French Ligue 1 Champions Paris Saint Germain versus English Premier League Champions Chelsea.
This is the stage of the competition where a simple slip or failure to defend a simple dribble could cost a team big time. The crunch part of the UEFA Champions League where there is no room for error or in the part of Ghanaian defender Abdul Baba Rahman, no room for gaining match fitness.
Jose Mourinho was sacked as Chelsea manager in December and Guus Hiddink was appointed as interim boss until the end of the season.
In the time Guus Hiddink has been the manager of Premier League Champions Chelsea, Abdul Baba Rahman has played one and little over half football games. That is one and a little over half game time for the Black Stars defender out of the 12 games his side have played in that duration.
So the task of a UEFA Champions League knock-out stage game against Paris Saint Germain is some work to ask for a defender who is still finding his feet at his new club.
Paris Saint Germain come into the Champions League game with an attacking force including Zlatan Ibarahimovic, Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani. If that is not a baptism of fire into the knock-out round of the UEFA Champions League for a defender still under development, what is?
The Ghanaian defender has on most occasions during his Augsburg days showed the good defender in him. That warranted Premier League Champions Chelsea to pay big for his services.
Baba has however not showed the player that he was at Augsburg during his Chelsea days, and mostly because of the lack of gaming time.
But this probable full game time Baba Rahman could be getting on Tuesday night against Paris Saint Germain is set to be a real baptism of fire.
The stakes will be high considering that is Chelsea’s only route to making the UEFA Champions League next season [Yeah, let’s be real with the Premier League table].
The hawk eyed cameras will be on for every mistake in the game and the millions of pundits on social media are ever ready for their post-match discussions and bashing.
Abdul Baba Rahman versus Paris Saint Germain, all the best lad!
Follow @kboakye92