Sports News of Wednesday, 3 July 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

How I saved my career after the 2010 World Cup penalty miss - Asamoah Gyan narrates

Asamoah Gyan, moments after he missed the penalty against Uruguay Asamoah Gyan, moments after he missed the penalty against Uruguay

Ghana's all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has revealed that taking the Black Stars' first penalty during the shootout against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup saved his career.

The former Black Stars skipper implied that he would have retired had he not stepped up for the shootouts after missing a crucial penalty during extra time.

Speaking with Wontumi radio, he said his initial penalty miss affected him, and thus, he would've stopped playing football if he had not taken the penalty during the shootout.

"If I had not taken that penalty, that would've been the end. Because the initial one that I missed affected me. Looking at the time I missed the penalty, there was no other option to redeem myself," he said.

"It is like finding yourself in trouble and someone saying, 'I feel your pain.' You don't feel my pain. That is how it is."

Gyan, with the last kick of the game, struck the crossbar and fluffed Ghana's chance of winning to secure a historic semifinal berth.

Ghana eventually lost 4-2 on penalties after the game ended one-all after extra time. Gyan and Stephen Appiah were the only scorers for Ghana in the shootouts.


EE/OGB

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb General News WhatsApp channel

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.