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The ever-popular striker Asamoah Gyan has a somewhat checkered legacy in Ghana and perhaps on the continent despite being the top scorer in history with 51 goals and Africa’s most powerful finalist in the World Cup with 6 goals. .
Unfortunately for some, these remarkable achievements are often swept under the rug and he is remembered mostly for his criminal misfortunes; especially in 2010 (World Cup match vs Uruguay in the quarterfinals) and 2012 (African Nations Cup vs Zambia in the semifinals).
These consistent debacles have resulted in many severe criticism, unfortunate abuse, and some death threats to the player and his family.
In a 2013 interview, Gyan spoke of his decision to excuse himself from spot kicking tasks.
The forward said: “I recently lost my mother and the only thing she said two weeks before she died, she emphasized, were these penalties.
“I have to respect his decision not to take penalties for the team.”
The news made headlines in Ghana and was the subject of discussions between soccer fans and sports journalists.
While some viewed it with great relief and called it a good trip, others thought it was a mark of lack of professionalism on the part of the player and blamed it on the cordoned-out black star players.
AFCON 2015
The Black Stars were going to end a 33-year trophy drought. Coach Avram Grant named its last 23-man squad that traveled to Equatorial Guinea to participate in the African Cup of Nations.
Asamoah Gyan, who was captaining the team, reiterated his stance of not kicking before the start of the tournament.
The Black Stars were found in a group promoted “the death group”.
After falling to a one-goal loss at the hands of the Leran Teranga (Senegal), Ghana made amends for their slow start by beating the Desert Foxes (Algeria) and the perennial nemesis of South Africa, earning six points from three games.
Creeping in confidence, the Black Stars bypassed Guinea and hosted Equatorial Guinea in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the competition finals.
An appointment with fate awaited the Black Stars of Ghana and the Elephants of Ivory Coast.
The grand finale had all the hallmarks of a classic finale and it was not shocking to see the game heading for a shootout after 120 minutes of exhausting gameplay, almost glitches, nerves and anxiety.
Asamoah Gyan was clearly replaced on dying embers in overtime by Agyemang Badu in an attempt not to break his promise to his mother.
A move that Avram Grant and his technical team had to think carefully before doing.
Sanctions that say “are like playing the lottery” and critics often argue that it is not a fair basis for deciding a game.
Asamoah Gyan’s departure played a key role as Ghana lost the shootout 8-9 (hence the trophy) despite the Ivory Coast missing both of its initial kicks.
A profound statement by the famous American writer Karen Marie Moning ” Words can be twisted in any way. Promises can be made to numb the heart and seduce the soul. In the final analysis, the words mean nothing. They are labels we give things in an effort to wrap our puny little brains around their underlying nature, when ninety-nine percent of the time the whole of reality is a completely different beast. The wisest man is the silent one. Examine their actions. Judge for them, ” summarizes everything.
In fact, an effective managerial approach by coach Avram Grant and his coaches, as well as a change of heart on the part of Asamoah Gyan to rescind his decision, would have been a blow to the annexation of the African Cup of Nations trophy for Ghana.
The consequences would have been a happy and accomplished nation and a complete restoration of Asamoah Gyan’s legacy.
By Yaw Ampofo Jr and Terence Wood
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