After 391 days away from competitive football and 54 matches missed for club and country, Ernest Nuamah made his long-awaited return to action on Sunday.
The Ghanian winger came off the bench in the final six minutes of Olympique Lyonnais's 4-2 victory over Rennes at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Nuamah replaced Brazilian forward Endrick in the 84th minute, receiving a warm reception from the home crowd as he stepped onto the pitch for the first time since his devastating knee injury over a year ago.
The injury that started it all
The 22-year-old had been sidelined since April 5th, 2025, after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture during a 2-1 win against Lille. It was a cruel blow for a winger who had been in excellent form.
In total, he missed 54 matches across club and country, including Ghana's crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
Through it all, Nuamah kept working. In a social media post during his rehabilitation, he wrote: "A man who has been through the storm won't fear the rain. He has faced the hardest battles and still stands strong. Lead me to the starting line. Soon, very soon."
The return
Lyon secured an important 4-2 victory over Rennes in an entertaining Ligue 1 encounter, which puts Les Gones in a good position for Champions League football next season.
Despite the limited time on the pitch, the Ghanaian showed encouraging signs by showing for the ball and a willingness to take on his man.
The result lifted Lyon to third position in the Ligue 1 table with two games to go. For Nuamah, his goal will remain to accumulate as many minutes as possible to build match sharpness and hope he convinces new Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz that he deserves a place in Ghana's 26-man World Cup squad.
With the final squad expected to be submitted by June 1st, Nuamah has just weeks to prove his fitness. Ghana face England, Panama and Croatia in Group L, with their campaign opening against Panama in Toronto on June 17th.
