It was the ‘easy’ games that carried the heaviest pressure - Asamoah Gyan recalls

Asamoah Gyan, Ghana’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of Africa’s most recognisable footballers of the modern era, has revealed that the most mentally demanding moments of his international career did not come against the world’s best teams, but against opponents his country was expected to beat.

Speaking in a recent interview with former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, the 40-year-old reflected candidly on the psychological weight of representing Ghana, a responsibility he carried for more than a decade.

“There was always pressure playing for Ghana,” Gyan said. “Where I felt it most was playing against the minnows, but no disrespect to them.

“Playing against teams that we were statistically ahead of, going into such games we felt they had nothing to lose, but we did have something to lose. That is when I felt the pressure. But playing against the top teams, I didn’t feel the pressure.”

Gyan first rose to global prominence at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he announced himself on the biggest stage and helped usher Ghana into a new era of international relevance. He went on to become Africa’s leading goalscorer at the World Cup and remains the Black Stars’ all-time top scorer.

His career with the national team was defined by iconic goals, unforgettable moments and the relentless expectations of a football-loving nation. While clashes with elite opposition brought excitement and freedom, Gyan’s comments highlight the often-overlooked strain of matches where anything short of victory was seen as failure.

The former striker retired from professional football in June 2023, closing the chapter on a career that left a lasting imprint on Ghanaian and African football.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, Gyan’s reflections offer a rare insight into the mental battles faced by elite players, a reminder that, in international football, the toughest tests are not always the most glamorous.