Asamoah Gyan Criticizes 2010 World Cup Teammates Over Lack of Support After Penalty Miss

Ghana’s all-time leading scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has expressed frustration with his teammates from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, accusing them of failing to stand by him during the backlash he faced after missing a crucial penalty against Uruguay.

In a candid Instagram Live session, Gyan reflected on the dramatic quarterfinal match, where Ghana was on the brink of becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. He defended his decision to take the penalty in the dying moments of extra time .

“When the penalty miss happened, I was abused and called names because some people said I should have left it for someone else,” Gyan stated. “Why didn’t they step up to take it? They were afraid. Cowards. I will say it—they are cowards.”

Gyan revealed his disappointment at the lack of support from his teammates, adding, “The fans can say what they want, but sometimes we need to educate them. Yet, nobody spoke up for me.”

The penalty miss, which saw Gyan’s shot strike the crossbar, remains one of the most heartbreaking moments in Ghanaian football history. Ghana eventually lost to Uruguay in the ensuing penalty shootout.

Responding to accusations that he deliberately missed the penalty, Gyan dismissed such claims as baseless.

“How could anyone suggest that I missed the penalty on purpose? For what reason exactly? I was Ghana’s first-choice penalty taker. Why would you go behind my back and talk about me missing the penalty?”