Fifa has named record-setting Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan as the best player of the weekend’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers for Africa.
The world governing body named the Black Stars attacker following his heroics in Sudan where he scored a brace to help his country to a 3-1 victory.
In an article on its official website, FIFA named Gyan on the ‘Player of Day’ column following the 19 matches played over the weekend.
Gyan scored two goals in Omdurman that smashed Abedi Pele’s scoring record for Ghana and also sealed the important win for the Black Stars.
The win in Omdurman on Friday night under difficult circumstances helped the Black Stars to keep the pressure on Group D leaders Zambia. Faced with a tricky must-win match in Sudan to keep pace with Zambia in Group D, Ghana’s star striker came up huge.
Not only did he give the Black Stars the lead, but he scored another goal to put them ahead after Ghana had been reduced to ten men and given up an equaliser – both around the half-hour mark.
The 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup veterans went on to win 3-1, and they remain a point behind the Chipolopolo.
Although Gyan is only 27, his two strikes took him to 34 international goals, and that puts him in front of the legendary Abedi Pele as the Black Stars’ all-time top scorer.