Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has launched a strong critique against legendary Ghanaian footballer, Asamoah Gyan, alleging that he intentionally missed a penalty during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Speaking in a Radio XYZ interview, Dafeamekpor claimed that Gyan, a known supporter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), allowed his political affiliations to influence his actions on the field during his playing days.
The incident in question occurred during a quarter-final match against Uruguay, where Gyan failed to convert a penalty kick that could have propelled Ghana to the semi-finals, marking a historic achievement for African football.
Dafeamekpor asserts that Gyan’s penalty miss was politically motivated.
Furthermore, Dafeamekpor criticised Gyan’s acceptance of a role on the manifesto committee for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s candidate in the 2024 elections.
According to Dafeamekpor, Gyan’s status as a national figure should have prevented him from aligning himself so closely with a single political party, given his widespread popularity transcending political divides.
“I am of the opinion that Asamoah Gyan intentionally threw away that penalty because it was under NDC. It’s today that I’ve come to the realisation that he threw away the penalty in the 2010 World Cup and the African Cup because the glory would have come to the NDC.
“Asamoah Gyan is now part of the Bawumia campaign team. There is everything wrong with that, because when you are a national figure and you become partisan, I can reasonably say that it’s because of politics that you threw that penalty away so that the NDC government will not get the glory. I am telling you that I feel the pain,” he said.
Asamoah Gyan, who was recently inaugurated as part of the manifesto team on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, has addressed the criticism surrounding his alignment with Dr. Bawumia and the NPP.
The legendary footballer responded to the backlash by stating that he was unfazed by the attacks. He believes that the appointment provides him with a platform to utilise his extensive experience gained over two decades as a footballer, boxing promoter, and sports event organiser.
“They have their own opinions,” said Gyan at the inauguration of the NPP’s campaign team for the 2024 general elections, at the Alisa Hotel, when he was quizzed about his thoughts on his critics.
“I have been there [before]. I have been to Stadia, and been booed in front of 80,000 people, I am used to it.
“At the end of the day, the work shows. Sometimes, you go to the enemy’s territory and you come out with applause. I have confidence in myself and I know what I can do to help. I am here to help because of my 20 years of experience. I can’t just sit at home and keep it. I have to share it with the new generation to benefit from it.
“At the end of the day, when everything is said and done, we see what we did or what we couldn’t do. The criticism will come. It is also good for me personally and for my team to push harder,” he added.
Asamoah Gyan has been appointed as the head of the youth and sports sub-committee within Dr. Bawumia’s manifesto team.