After missing a vital penalty in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match against Uruguay in South Africa, former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has blasted his teammates for deserting him.
Gyan’s failure to convert a last-minute penalty that would have guaranteed the team’s historic semifinal berth grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Gyan had to handle the difficult fallout alone following the miss, which sparked intense criticism and outrage.
Ghana’s all-time top scorer expressed his frustrations during an Instagram Live session, saying that his teammates turned away from him amid one of the most trying times in his career.
Gyan explained that he accepted responsibility for the situation as the designated penalty taker and disputed that he purposefully overlooked any suggestions.
The emotional toll was apparent when he described the incident, even though he went on to score during the penalty shootout.
Gyan was disappointed that his teammates, who knew what was going on, did not publicly stand up for him in the face of such harsh criticism.
After a remarkable career in which he became the highest-scoring African in World Cup history with six goals, Gyan, who is currently 39 years old, announced his retirement from professional football in 2023.
With 51 goals, he continues to be Ghana’s all-time leading scorer.