Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has criticized his teammates from the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against Uruguay, accusing them of not supporting him when he faced intense backlash.
In an Instagram Live session, Gyan defended his actions on the night Ghana narrowly missed becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals.
“When the penalty miss happened, I was abused and called names because some people said I should have left it for someone else,” Gyan said.
“Why didn’t they step up to take it? They were afraid. Cowards. I will say it—they are cowards.
“The fans can say what they want, but sometimes we need to educate them. Yet, nobody spoke up for me.”
The penalty, awarded in the dying moments of extra time after Uruguay’s Luis Suárez handled Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header, could have sealed Ghana’s historic victory.
The penalty, awarded in the dying moments of extra time after Uruguay’s Luis Suárez handled Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header, could have sealed Ghana’s historic victory. Instead, Gyan’s strike hit the crossbar, sending the match into a penalty shootout, which Ghana ultimately lost.
Responding to accusations that he missed deliberately, Gyan added, “How could anyone suggest that I missed the penalty on purpose? For what reason exactly?
“How could anyone suggest that I missed the penalty against Uruguay on purpose? For what reason exactly?
“I was Ghana’s first-choice penalty taker. Why would you go behind my back and talk about me missing the penalty?
