How Real Madrid Signed Baba Sule to Replace Makelele: A Sad Ghanaian Tale
- The story of Baba Sule’s move to Real Madrid remains one of the most emotional and overlooked chapters in Ghanaian football
- At a time when Madrid were searching for a replacement for Claude Makelele, the Spanish giants placed their hopes in a young Ghanaian they believed could grow into that role
- After retiring from football, he worked as an electrician and a chauffeur, and today he serves as a kit man (utility staff) for a Spanish third-division club
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Football can be wonderfully generous, yet brutally unforgiving. Injuries often steal the futures of promising players, shutting doors before they fully open.
Baba Sule’s journey is one of the clearest examples. Long before Michael Essien rose to global fame, Ghana believed they had found their next great midfield force in him.
Source: Getty Images
Baba Sule: The hero that fate denied
His breakthrough came in the mid-90s when the senior national team struggled and the Black Starlets captured the nation’s affection.
Sule, a product of Kumasi Cornerstone, was central to that youthful group. After helping Ghana win the Under-17 World Championship in 1995, he moved to Real Mallorca the following year.
That was when his troubles began. Hepatitis B halted his early progress and forced him into long spells away from the pitch.
A loan to Ourense offered a fresh beginning, but disaster struck again when he suffered a broken leg.
Even so, he had already left an impression by scoring twice at the 1997 Under-20 World Cup, where Ghana finished fourth.
His strength and awareness caught the attention of Real Madrid, who brought him into their youth setup in 1999.
Source: Getty Images
How injuries stole Sule's Madrid dream
Real Madrid had big plans for him in the early 2000s. After Claude Makelele’s departure in 2003, the club sought a midfielder with similar drive and defensive discipline.
Sule matched everything they wanted; Sule was viewed as a long-term investment. Scouts believed he could eventually anchor the team.
Then his world collapsed. One injury followed another, leaving him trapped in recovery rooms instead of fighting for a place in the squad.
Every attempt to return ended with another setback. While Real Madrid moved on with new names, his dream slowly faded.
He never managed to play for the club and spent more time on loan at Leganes before admitting defeat.
“Real Madrid signed me to replace Makelele,” he told 3Sports, as quoted by Ghanasoccernet.
It was a destiny that slipped away. Had fortune favoured him, he would have become the first Ghanaian to represent the club long before Michael Essien joined in 2012.
Watch the sad tale of Baba Sule:
Life after injuries denied Sule greatness
Sule retired in 2006 at just 27. Life took an unexpected turn when he became a chauffeur and often drove a young David de Gea during his Atletico Madrid academy years.
“I helped him with his English on those trips and we still speak every now and again,” he explained.
Ten years after his retirement, Fuenlabrada called. They needed someone who understood the game and could support the team behind the scenes. He accepted immediately.
“They told me that they needed a utility man and I had always missed football and being involved so I did not think twice,” he added.
Today, he works as the kit man and equipment manager for the Spanish third-tier club, as cited by Transfermarkt.
The heartbreaking story of Daniel Kofi-Kyereh
In a related feature, YEN.com.gh explores the emotional journey of German-born midfielder Daniel Kofi-Kyereh.
His rise was cut short after a major injury, leaving him sidelined since February 2023.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
