Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has addressed rumours of discord between himself and Stephen Appiah regarding the crucial penalty he missed during the 2010 World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay.
Gyan had the opportunity to secure Ghana's historic first-ever World Cup semi-final berth with a penalty in the final minute of extra time, following a handball offense by Luis Suarez. However, his shot hit the crossbar, ultimately leading to Ghana's elimination on penalties, with Uruguay prevailing 4-2 despite Gyan converting his spot-kick in the shootout.
In an interview with Captain Smart on Onua TV's Maakye show, Gyan clarified the circumstances surrounding the penalty incident. He revealed that he was the designated penalty taker at the time and Stephen Appiah supported his decision to take the spot-kick.
"Stephen [Appiah] brought the ball to me to take the penalty. I was the obvious choice as I had scored against Serbia and Australia," Gyan explained.
Furthermore, Gyan disclosed that Appiah approached him after the final whistle and encouraged him to take the first penalty during the subsequent shootout against Uruguay.
Despite the disappointment of the penalty miss, Gyan's legacy as Ghana's all-time leading scorer remains intact, with 51 goals in 109 appearances for the Black Stars. Even at the World Cup, Gyan went on to become the highest scoring African at the World Cup with six goals.
While the memory of the 2010 World Cup exit lingers, Gyan's contributions to Ghanaian football continue to be celebrated.