Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Kwami Etse Dafeamekpor, has put forward a bizarre interpretation of Asamoah Gyan’s infamous penalty miss during the 2010 World Cup.
According to the Ghanaian legislator, Gyan intentionally missed the penalty kick to prevent the then-ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), from receiving all the glory.
Dafeamekpor’s belief is based on Gyan’s recent association with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting that the former Black Stars captain deliberately sabotaged the opportunity to ensure the NDC did not revel in the historic semi-finals.
He said:
He intentionally missed that penalty at the 2010 World Cup because the NDC was in power then. He intentionally missed, for the glory would have come to the NDC. Asamoah Gyan is now part of Dr. Bawumia’s campaign team. There is everything wrong with that.
When you are a national figure like that and you become partisan, then we will begin to read meanings into the things you did against us.
The 2010 South Africa World Cup saw Gyan presented with the chance to create history for Ghana by securing a spot in the semifinals, a milestone no African team had reached before.
This opportunity came about due to a last-minute handball by Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in the penalty area. Gyan took the crucial penalty kick, but unfortunately, it hit the crossbar, despite the goalkeeper moving in the opposite direction.
Ghana ended up losing in the subsequent penalty shootout, missing out on a semifinal berth that had seemed well within their reach. This match, along with Suarez’s handball, has since been recognized as two of the most memorable moments in World Cup history.
