A Ghanaian footballer has been rescued after spending 74 days stranded at an Indian airport due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

After over two months of being stuck at an Indian airport during the lockdown, a Ghanaian footballer has finally left the airport and is free to go.

Randy Juan Muller, who celebrated his 23rd birthday this week, arrived in India on November 7 for a six-month football contract with ORPC Sports Club in Kerala, located in southern India.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Muller booked a flight to return home to Ghana for March 30. A week before his departure, he traveled by train to Mumbai.

Muller explained, 'I had heard about the potential for a lockdown in India, so I went to Mumbai to stay in a dormitory and ensure I wouldn’t miss my flight.' However, upon arriving in Mumbai on March 21, he found himself low on funds and unable to secure a room.

Having no contacts in Mumbai, Muller approached some policemen and shared his situation with them. They advised him to head to the airport, he recalled.

Just three days later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a nationwide lockdown lasting 21 days.

All international flights, both arrivals and departures, were suspended as a result of the lockdown.

Muller opted to spend the night in the departure lounge of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, waiting for international flights to resume. However, the lockdown kept being extended.

'The people at the airport were incredibly kind. They provided food and supported me in many ways,' Muller said. One security guard even replaced his damaged phone.

Muller reached out to the Ghanaian Consulate in Mumbai, but was informed that there was little they could do to assist him during the lockdown.

'I never panicked because I always believed I would eventually return home,' he says. 'I focused on staying strong and motivated… There are some things in life beyond our control.'

Muller's ordeal ended in early June after he followed the advice of a security officer and made a public appeal on Twitter.

A local journalist who saw his tweets shared his plea for help and tagged Aaditya Thackeray, the state’s tourism and environment minister, who also serves as president of the Mumbai District Football Association. Thackeray is the son of the state's Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray.

Within hours of the tweet, Muller was transferred from the airport to a hotel where he would remain until he could catch a flight back home.

Although his football contract has ended, the challenging experience hasn't discouraged him from considering a return to India.

'I left home to support my family,' he explains. 'If I were offered another contract, I’d be eager to come back.'