Former Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan has expressed his deep regret and a wish to turn back time in order to redeem himself for his crucial penalty miss that led to the Black Stars’ elimination in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup against Uruguay.
Gyan, who holds the record as Africa’s top scorer in World Cup history with six goals across three tournaments and 11 appearances, enjoyed a remarkable career with the Ghana national team.
However, his notable achievements have not been able to erase the indelible memory of that moment for many football fans, particularly Ghanaians.
In the 2010 South Africa World Cup edition, Gyan was presented with the opportunity to propel Ghana into the history books as the first African side to reach the World Cup semifinals, all thanks to a last-minute handball by Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in the penalty area.
Despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Gyan’s penalty struck the crossbar, and the chance for glory slipped through their grasp.
Ghana eventually lost in the ensuing penalty shootout, missing out on a place in the semifinal when the spot was within their grasp.
Gyan remembered the painful incident, as quoted by Eurofoot, saying, “Till today, any time I’m alone, it still haunts me… Sometimes I feel like the world should go back again so I can redeem myself. But I know this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I accept that because there is nothing I can do about it. I went there to save my country, but I ended up being the villain, which I accept because I know how people feel.”
According to Asamoah Gyan, the aftermath of the incident was a disaster for him, stating, “It was a disaster. It was crazy. I couldn’t sleep the whole night because I was crying the whole night until morning… All I was telling myself was to get another chance because I knew I could redeem myself, even if not football or something else. But even if I don’t, my kids will do it one day”, he added.
After 20 years of dedicated service to club and nation, Gyan announced his retirement in June 2023 at age 37, with 51 goals in 109 caps for the Black Stars.