Ghana skipper Gyan insists he is an expert penalty taker despite taking a bow

Published on: 19 January 2017
Ghana skipper Gyan insists he is an expert penalty taker despite taking a bow
Ghana skipper Asamoah Gyan

Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan has stated that he is a master penalty despite his decision to desist from taking the spot kicks during regular play for the national team.

Gyan announced he will not be taking penalties from open play after the 2010 World Cup in Brazil. The Al Ahli striker failed to score a crucial 120th minute penalty against Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a kick that could have seen the Black Stars make history as the first African side to make it to the semifinals of the World Cup.

Gyan crushed his powerful strike against the crossbar as Ghana went on to lose the ensuing penalty shootouts.

He rescinded his decision and continued to take penalties for the team after that huge set back but again he failed to score a penalty against Zambia in the semifinals of the 2012 Nations Cup.

The bashings he received became more and more unbearable according to the striker and to stop taking penalty kicks was the best decision Gyan made.

Speaking to Ghanaian reporters on Wednesday in Port-Gentil, Gyan reiterated that he will not return as first choice penalty taker for the team but he knows he is a specialist in that aspect of the game.

“I used to be the first choice for penalties but now there is someone taking it. I can say I am an expert penalty taker. I can take the penalty kicks when its gets to penalty shootouts in the game and I am on the pitch”.

”In 2015 AFCON finals, the coach changed me towards the end of the game but he is the coach and make the decisions. I didn’t asked to be changed, it was the coach that made the change. I heard people say I asked to be changed in order not to be part of the likely penalty shootouts but that’s not true.”

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