El Hadji Ba, a former midfielder for Charlton Athletic, has stated he is ending his professional playing days. He shared the news personally via a social media post.
He remarked that there are times when one must move on to a new chapter. Ba added that following over two decades dedicated to the sport, he has chosen to stop playing.
He joined Charlton in 2015 after two years with Sunderland. During his time with Sunderland, he played a handful of first-team matches and netted a goal after coming off the bench in an FA Cup victory against Carlisle United. His switch to Charlton was a full transfer, but his stay there was short before he continued his career with clubs in Norway, France, and Cyprus.
His professional path saw him play for teams across six nations. He began at CSL Aulnay as a young child, progressed through the youth system at Le Havre, and first played for their senior side in 2012. After his periods in England with Sunderland and Charlton, he had stints with Stabæk, Sochaux, Lens, Guingamp, and Apollon Limassol. Subsequently, he featured for FC Nouadhibou in Mauritania and the Spanish club Real Balompédica Linense.
Internationally, Ba first played for French youth teams at various age groups. He later decided to represent Mauritania at the senior level. In his farewell note, he mentioned the privilege of playing for France's youth sides before earning caps for Mauritania's senior team.
In his announcement, he expressed thanks to his representative Jonathan Maarek and the agency Classico Sport, alongside Mauritania's football president Ahmed Yahya for their belief in him. He also thanked his relatives, close companions, fellow players, managers, and every support staff member from his career.
The retirement news emerges while the present Charlton team, led by a new manager, holds sixth place in the league standings. Their latest run of games includes a single victory, three tied matches, and one loss.
Charlton's following fixture is a trip to face Cardiff City. This match offers a chance for the team to strengthen their encouraging beginning to the season. The players will aim to turn recent tied games into victories as they pursue promotion.
