Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan has been trending on Twitter after former Juventus midfielder and national team captain, Stephen Appiah omitted the striker from his list of top five Ghana players.
The roster included Appiah himself, three-time African Footballer of the Year, Abedi Ayew Pele, Chelsea legend Michael Essien, ex-Leeds United frontman Tony Yeboah and former Blackpool goalkeeper Richard ‘Olele’ Kingston.
The former Sunderland, Udinese, and Rennes man is also Africa’s current top scorer at the World Cup with six goals.
Gyan, who made his Ghana debut in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Somalia in 2003 in a game in which Appiah captained the Black Stars, is also the scorer of Ghana’s debut goal at the World Cup, a sublime effort against the Czech Republic in 2006.
1. Stephen Appiah ????
— Stephen Appiah (@StephenAppiah) May 10, 2021
2. Abedi Pele
3. Tony Yeboah
4. Michael Essien
5. Richard Kingson https://t.co/xyE85ebgEM
Interestingly, most of the reactions reference a famous incident at the 2010 World Cup when Gyan, after Ghana won an extra-time stoppage-time penalty against Uruguay, collected the ball from a seemingly penalty-ready Appiah to take the kick, only to spurn the opportunity. That penalty could have made Ghana the only African nation to have reached the semi-final of the World Cup to date.
Below are some of the reactions:
I don't usually argue about this man but when it comes to the Black Stars striking role, nobody dey match Asamoah Gyan. @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 lemme say this while you are alive????????
— @The Writer (@JOELESHUN4) May 10, 2021
1/2 pic.twitter.com/g8XtOquHg5
Don't think about the bad memories alone. think about the good ones too. It's only a trophy wey @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 no win but no striker dey pass am for Black Stars. 2/2
— @The Writer (@JOELESHUN4) May 10, 2021
Name your player and let's talk. pic.twitter.com/ojTuQZsYKD
People are entering Stephen Tornado Appiah paaa for excluding Asamoah Gyan in that list @IkeAsempah says Essien the most unpatriotic Ghanaian player shouldn’t be there.
— Benedict Owusu (@KwesiBenedict) May 10, 2021
So Stephen Appiah chose Olele over Asamoah Gyan in Top 5 Black Stars players of all time???? eii Machoman biaa y3 emotional. Sekof Small Penalty Baby jet spoil tswww
— Twilight????????????☠️ (@the_marcoli_boy) May 10, 2021
The dispatch rider rn : pic.twitter.com/dXCZJVgjKN
— Jaabs ???? (@mo_jaabs) November 2, 2020
This is a matter of choices. Even in our families we have our favourites. Stephen Appiah chose those he felt are the best/his favourites, and that’s fine. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think highly of Asamoah Gyan. People are being unnecessarily sentimental with this thing.
— Kofi McAshietey (@esikyire) May 10, 2021
People are entering Stephen Tornado Appiah paaa for excluding Asamoah Gyan in that list @IkeAsempah says Essien the most unpatriotic Ghanaian player shouldn’t be there.
— Benedict Owusu (@KwesiBenedict) May 10, 2021
???????? Asamoah Gyan was the first player in history to score in NINE consecutive international tournaments.
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) May 10, 2021
Certainly top 5 ✅ pic.twitter.com/NI3D8zv5Ig
Stephen Appiah go fit choose Caleb Ekuban over Asamoah Gyan. Charley the penalty really pain am????
— Teflon???????? (@Tef_lon_don) May 10, 2021
Since we are a talking about Asamoah Gyan
— Ofankor Tarzan ???? (@mmoaNkoaa) May 10, 2021
He didn't hurt only Ghanaians but the whole Africa was well ???????? pic.twitter.com/Pb8EMqHIFV
