Uruguay Penalty Miss Still Haunts Me – Asamoah Gyan

Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan says his most emotional moment on the pitch came after Ghana’s painful 2010 World Cup loss to Uruguay the pain from that match still lingers.

“My most emotional moment on the pitch was when the final whistle went against Uruguay. Not when I missed the penalty, after the penalty shootout,” Gyan said while speaking on TV3’s NewDay. According to him, if he had the chance to play one more game, it would be against Uruguay

During the quarter-final clash in South Africa, Gyan missed a last-minute penalty that would have sent Ghana into the semi-finals, a first for any African team. His shot hit the crossbar, and Ghana eventually lost in a penalty shootout.

That moment has haunted the striker for years, despite his many achievements. Gyan ended his international career in 2019 with 51 goals for Ghana, making him the country’s all-time top scorer. He officially retired from football in 2023 after a 20-year career.

The 39-year-old made his debut for the Black Stars in 2003 against Somalia and scored in that match, becoming Ghana’s youngest-ever goalscorer at the time. He helped Ghana qualify for their first World Cup in 2006 and scored the team’s first-ever goal at the tournament against the Czech Republic after just 68 seconds.

Gyan went on to feature in three World Cups; 2006, 2010, and 2014, finishing as Africa’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup with six goals. On the continent, he helped Ghana reach two Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2010 and 2015, but the team lost both.

Looking back, Gyan says representing Ghana was always an honour.

“If you have the opportunity to wear the shirt, it’s a privilege,” he said.

Gyan is now giving back to football as part of the Black Stars technical team and will serve as an ambassador, alongside Abedi Pele, for the CAF African Schools Championship, which begins on April 23 in Accra.