Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan
Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has lambasted his former teammates for not supporting him after fans turned on him for missing a crucial penalty against Uruguay during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
With teary eyes, Gyan labelled his teammates as “cowards” for not stepping up to take the penalty, indicating that his colleagues were scared in the tense moment.
Speaking during an Instagram Live session, he expressed his displeasure, claiming that his former teammates failed to defend him and left him to face the backlash alone. This, according to Gyan, fueled false narratives that tarnished his image.
“Anyone could have taken the penalty. Why would I deliberately miss it and disgrace Ghana? You were all afraid of the pressure. Everybody was scared—cowards,” he said.
“And then someone claimed they wanted to take it, but I took it. Why won’t you come out and affirm it if it’s true? You were happy to let them insult the taker. None of you came out to speak, deny it, or explain that I was the first-choice penalty taker.”
The Black Stars‘ all-time top scorer further accused some of his former teammates of using his penalty miss as an opportunity to turn public opinion against him because he was the face of the team.
“The fans can say whatever they like, but you, my teammates, should have defended me. Instead, you were scared, and when they mentioned my name, you kept quiet while I faced it all alone. I was loved by the people, and yet you instigated them to speak ill of me,” Gyan added.
Gyan missed a last-minute penalty against Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, denying Ghana a historic semi-final berth. Ghana eventually lost the match in a penalty shootout.
The infamous penalty miss has seemingly overshadowed Gyan’s illustrious international career, becoming one of the most remembered moments of the former footballer’s career.
EE/MA
