Ghana’s all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, has fiercely criticized his 2010 FIFA World Cup teammates for failing to support him after his penalty miss in the quarterfinal against Uruguay, a moment that denied Ghana the chance to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals.
In an emotional Instagram Live session, Gyan recalled the intense backlash he faced following the missed penalty, which came in the final moments of extra time. Ghana had been awarded the penalty after Uruguay’s Luis Suárez handled Dominic Adiyiah’s header on the goal line.
“When the penalty miss happened, I was abused and called names because some people said I should have left it for someone else,” Gyan said, visibly frustrated.
“Why didn’t they step up to take it? They were afraid. Cowards. I will say it— they are cowards,” he continued, highlighting that no one on his team stood by him in the aftermath.
Gyan also responded to the accusations that he deliberately missed the penalty, a claim he strongly denied. “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?”
The penalty miss, which struck the crossbar, sent the match into a penalty shootout where Ghana ultimately lost. Gyan expressed disappointment not just at the result, but at the lack of support from his teammates during one of the most difficult moments of his career.
