Black Stars’ all-time top scorer, Asamoah Gyan has disclosed the exact words of Stephen Appiah moments after his famous penalty miss against Uruguay at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
After missing the penalty, Appiah confronted Gyan right after and the image which was captured during this moment went viral.
Appiah appeared to be talking irritatingly to disappointed Gyan, with his finger pointed at the striker.
Speaking to Peace FM, the former Sunderland man revealed what Stephen Appiah said right after the penalty miss.
“He was encouraging me, I was very worried and we were going to the penalty shootouts. He told me he knows what I can do and I’m the first penalty taker and I shouldn’t think I won’t play in the penalty shootouts. It was because of him I took part in the shootouts. Although, I wanted to play, what he told me motivated me to play. So he was telling me not to think that I won’t take part in the shootouts because I have to play,” he said.
However, people inferred that Appiah lashed out at Gyan for blowing away Ghana’s opportunity to become the first African country to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Reacting to the inference by the public, he said: “In Ghana when there is a negative thing, everybody would want to have a say so they tag the picture (I told you not to play). Even that day he brought the ball to me that I should take it. That was what happened.”
Ghana became the third African nation to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup as they came up against Uruguay in the last 8.
During the game, Sulley Muntari gave the Black Stars the lead with a stunning strike from distance in the first half. Diego Forlan pulled the South Americans level in the second half as the game headed into extra time.
With a few minutes to end the extra-time, Ghana was handed a penalty after Luis Suarez channeled his inner goalkeeping skills to palm away Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header.
Source: peacefmonline.com