Asamoah Gyan opens up on why he took penalty kick in USA friendly
Black Stars skipper, Asamoah Gyan has revealed that his decision to take a penalty for Ghana after 5 years of stating his intentions not to involve himself with the spot kick was because he wanted to “break the jinx” around him.
The striker was back in the news for the wrong reason when he had his penalty kick saved during a friendly with USA in America. A game the team went on to lose 2:1.
The striker had insisted he would not take any more penalty kicks for Ghana in obedience to his late mother’s advice but stepped up surprisingly to take the kick when Frank Acheampong was brought down at the dying embers of the first in the friendly game.
The unattached striker squandered perhaps Africa’s best ever opportunity of reaching the World Cup semis when he missed from the spot in the last minute of extra-time of Ghana’s quarter-final clash against Uruguay in 2010.
Two years later, Gyan missed penalty in the semi-finals against Zambia at AFCON proved costly as the Black Stars failed to reach the final.
Apparently, some football fans marched to the residence of his mother to announce their displeasure while Gyan himself became the number one enemy as fans took him on radio programs and social media platforms.
“No, I will no longer take penalty kicks for Ghana; my mother advised me not to take penalties again.
“And now that she is gone, I will like take this advice.”he had said
He however insists his decision to take the penalty at the Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field was to break the jinx.
‘’Honestly, I was not the one to kick the penalty but I just decided to shoot it.’’
‘’I wanted to break that jinx around me but unfortunately, it did not happen but am a man I needed to step up. Those who don’t step up are not recognized’’
Asked if he would continue taking penalties for the team, Gyan responded ‘’I cannot guarantee but I am focused on working hard for the nation’’
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