Ex-Ghana Under-17 captain Sebastian Barnes has recounted his own nightmare and wants fans to back off striker Asamoah Gyan's case.Â
Gyan has received a bashing for his first half penalty miss in Ghana's 1-0 defeat to Zambia at the African Nations Cup semifinal clash.
Barnes was made the scapegoat when Ghana lost the final of the 1993 FIFA World Under 17 championship to Nigeria.
He fouled his opponent close to the 18-yard box and the resultant free kick allowed Nigeria to score the winning goal.
The former Bayern Leverkusen player suffered a lot of backlash from fans who threatened to burn his house and teach his mother a lesson but then government provided maximum security to ensure his safety.
The 36-year-old, who has acquired a Uefa License B coaching certificate, wants fans to stop their unruly behaviour.
''It's a shame that he (Gyan) has been going through these things. I think we should rather support him rather than chastise him,'' Barnes said.
"I went through a similar experience during the 1993 world championship where I had to endure the threat from fans for many weeks.
"About 30 soldiers were deployed to protect me and my family at Tema and the experience was bad. Some of the fans made me a scapegoat and wanted to do their worst."
He added: "Therefore I want to urge Gyan to be strong in these trying times. He’s made us happy in the past and so if he misses a penalty, we shouldn’t over criticize him.
"He’s still young and there is lot to come from him in the coming years."
Gyan is expected to lead the lines for Ghana in Saturday's third/fourth-place play-off against Mali in Malabo.
Source: MTNFootball.com