Ghana’s all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has voiced strong criticism of his teammates from the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against Uruguay, accusing them of not supporting him when he was facing heavy criticism for his missed penalty.
In a candid Instagram Live session, Gyan addressed the backlash he faced after Ghana’s historic bid to become the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal was halted by his missed penalty. He recounted the abuse he received, saying, “When the penalty miss happened, I was abused and called names because some people said I should have left it for someone else.”
Gyan did not hold back, directing his frustration at his teammates. “Why didn’t they step up to take it? They were afraid. Cowards. I will say it—they are cowards,” he stated.
He continued, “The fans can say what they want, but sometimes we need to educate them. Yet, nobody spoke up for me.”
The penalty, awarded in the final moments of extra time after Uruguay’s Luis Suárez handled a goal-bound header from Dominic Adiyiah, was Ghana’s chance to make history. However, Gyan’s strike hit the crossbar, and the match went to a penalty shootout, where Ghana was eventually defeated.
Gyan also responded to suggestions that he had missed the penalty on purpose, stating, “How could anyone suggest that I missed the penalty on purpose? For what reason exactly?”
He reiterated his commitment to the team, saying, “I was Ghana’s first-choice penalty taker. Why would you go behind my back and talk about me missing the penalty?”
