Gideon Baah

Gideon Baah
Personal information
Full nameGideon Baah
Date of birth1 October 1991
Place of birthAccra, Ghana
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
HJK Helsinki
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2007Kakyire?(?)
2007–2008Zaytuna?(?)
2008–2009Sporting St. Mirren?(?)
2009–2013Asante Kotoko?(?)
2013–2014FC Honka29(2)
2014-HJK Helsinki25(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16th October 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).

Gideon Baah (born 1 October 1991 in Accra) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays as a defender for Veikkausliiga side Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi.

Club career

Early career

In 2007, he won a football reality show (MTN Soccer Academy) in his home country, Ghana. He received a number of prizes which included cash, car, trip to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and two-week trial at Chelsea FC academy.[1] Chelsea and Ghanaian international, Michael Essien stated that he was very happy with Baah's performance and urged the Club to offer him a contract.[2] Baah later returned to Ghana.

Asante Kotoko

In March 2010, Baah sustained a broken shin in a Premier League match against Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Stadium. He underwent surgery at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.[3] In November 2010, he went to Scotland in order to receive assistance with his rehabilitation at Hearts of Midlothian.[4] On 28 November 2011, after 20 months away from the game, Gideon was deemed fit to join his teammates at Asante Kotoko.[5] On 30 November, he played his first match in 20 months for the Asante Kotoko SC Reserves side.[6] On 21 April 2012, Baah played his first league match against Mighty Jets. He consummated his first team comeback with a goal which helped Asante Kotoko SC to a 2–0 win.

FC Honka

Baah started his spell for FC Honka in a form of a loan from Asante Kotoko FC of the Ghanaian Premier League.[7] On Saturday 13 March 2013, Baah made his Veikkausliiga debut in a 2-0 away loss to 'Turun Palloseura. On 22 March he made his home debut at the Tapiolan Urheilupuisto against local rivals HJK Helsinki. Baah scored the winning goal on 25 March 2013 in a 0-1 victory over FC KooTeePee in the Suomen Cup to take his team through to the next round.[8] Baah was chosen to the Veikkausliiga team of the Month for April, May, June and July.[9][10][11][12] On 3 June 2013 Baah was acknowledged for his performance in the first round of the Veikkausliiga by being named by SuomiFutis website as one of the top 5 best players.[13] He scored his first Veikkausliiga goal on 30 June 2013 against FF Jaro where he scored the opening goal in a 4-2 victory.[14] Baah made his Europa League debut on 18 July 2013 in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round where they lost 1-3 in the first leg to 2012–13 Ekstraklasa runners up Lech Poznań.[15][16] On 24 July 2013, Baah signed a 2 year contract with FC Honka.[17][18] At the end of the 2013 Veikkausliiga season, he was officially selected as the defender of the year.[19]

Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi

In the early 2014 Baah announced on Twitter that he has signed a contract with Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. Qualified for the Europa League group stages 2014 with HJK with a 5-4 aggregate victory over SK Rapid Wien. Baah was later rated 6th in Whoscored.com’s Top 10 players of the group stages of the 2014/2015 Europa League. [20]

International career

In 2009, he received a call-up to Ghana U20 national team.[21]

Honours

FC Honka
HJK Helsinki
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Gideon Baah, Future Chelsea FC Wonderkid". mCalcio.com.
  2. ↑ "Michael Essien urges Chelsea to buy Ghanaian". The Telegraph. 12 December 2007.
  3. ↑ "Gideon Baah grateful to Kotoko". My Joy Online. 09/05/2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ "Gideon Baah set for Heart of Midlothian Visit". Ghanaweb. 24 October 2010.
  5. ↑ "Gideon Baah Cleared to Play Again". Asante Kotoko Website. 28 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Gideon features for the Kotoko Reserves". Peace FM Online. 01/12/2011. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ "Asante Kotoko Players". Asante Kotoko SC Website.
  8. ↑ http://www.fchonka.fi/uutiset/honkatv_kooste_kooteepee_fc_honka_0_1_25042013/
  9. ↑ http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?id=51457
  10. ↑ http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?id=51820
  11. ↑ http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?id=52189
  12. ↑ http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?id=52528
  13. ↑ http://www.suomifutis.com/2013/06/tassa-alkukauden-veikkausliigan-top-5-pelaajat/2/
  14. ↑ http://www.footytube.com/video/fc-honka-espoo-ff-jaro-pietarsaari-jun30-184207/2/
  15. ↑ http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2013/07/18/europe/uefa-cup/football-club-honka/kks-lech-poznan/1489055/?ICID=HP_MS_01_05/
  16. ↑ http://www.escapetosuomi.com/2013/07/introducing-lech-poznan-honkas-european.html/
  17. ↑ http://www.gideonbaah.com/about.html
  18. ↑ http://www.hs.fi/urheilu/Eliittipuolustaja+Gideon+Baah+jatkaa+Hongassa/a1374716928506?ref=hs-art-new-1
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "Baah makes Whoscored’s Top 10 Europa League performers".
  21. ↑ "Gideon Baah gets U20 call". Modern Ghana.
  22. ↑ http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=1&ID=53588

External links