Alidu Seidu reflects on emotional return after ACL setback

Black Stars defender Alidu Seidu has described his long-awaited return to competitive football as both “crazy” and emotional, after nearly a year on the sidelines with injury.

The 25-year-old spent 250 days out of action following a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) setback, which forced him to miss 24 matches for French Ligue 1 side Rennes and kept him out of Ghana’s national team.

Seidu finally made his comeback in Rennes’ 4-0 defeat to Lorient. Despite the heavy loss, the versatile defender said the real triumph was stepping back onto the pitch again.

“The moment I stepped on the pitch, I was so happy. The ACL was my biggest and longest injury. Coming back was crazy and weird at the same time, but I was just waiting for this day,” he told Flashscore.com.

Since returning, Seidu has quickly found his rhythm. He featured against Lyon before producing a man-of-the-match performance against Nantes, where he provided an assist and showed the intensity that once made him a key figure for Rennes.

With his confidence restored, Seidu is already setting new targets for the season.

“My goal is to get a lot of minutes, to give everything so Rennes can qualify for Europe. I’m convinced this season we can do good things,” he added.

His recovery also comes as a major boost for Ghana, with the Black Stars preparing for crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic and Comoros.