Tripoli, Greece – Ghanaian defender Abdul Rahman Baba made a decisive impact off the bench, scoring a dramatic late winner to secure PAOK FC a 2-1 comeback victory over Asteras Tripolis in the Greek Super League on Sunday.

The tightly contested match at Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium saw PAOK rally from behind to solidify their second-place position in the league standings after 12 rounds.

Despite controlling much of the first half, the visitors found themselves trailing early in the second half when Italian striker Federico Macheda struck to give Asteras the lead.

PAOK fought back, equalizing in the 68th minute through Bulgarian midfielder Kiril Despodov, whose clinical finish reignited the visitors’ hopes.

In the 75th minute, manager Răzvan Lucescu turned to Baba for fresh impetus, substituting the Ghanaian left-back in for Joan Sastre. The move paid dividends as Baba made an immediate impact.

Ten minutes after coming on, Baba latched onto a perfectly timed pass from Russian forward Fedor Chalov and delivered a composed finish to complete the turnaround for PAOK.

The goal marked yet another milestone in Baba’s standout season. The defender has now tallied six goals and one assist across 19 appearances in all competitions, underlining his value on both ends of the pitch.

PAOK’s victory reinforces their pursuit of league leaders Olympiacos as the season progresses.