My Career Would Have Ended if I Didn’t Retake Penalty Against Uruguay After Costly Miss – Asamoah Gyan

Ghanaian football legend Asamoah Gyan believes his career would have ended if he had not retaken the penalty against Uruguay after initially missing his kick.

Gyan, who once played for Sunderland, faced one of his toughest moments during the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

He missed a late penalty that could have advanced Ghana. However, he chose to take Ghana’s first penalty in the subsequent shootout and successfully scored. Unfortunately, the Black Stars still lost, with Uruguay winning 4-2.

Reflecting on that moment, Gyan explained that he was determined to make up for his miss. He stressed the importance of mental strength in overcoming mistakes.

Gyan stated that he always wants to prove that mistakes can be corrected, which motivated him to take the first penalty in the shootout.

Gyan said, “I hate to lose, and making a mistake doesn’t mean I’m not capable. I wanted to show that mistakes can be fixed, so I took the first penalty after missing my initial kick.” He added that if he had not retaken the penalty, it could have ended his career.

Gyan also commented on Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotional reaction after missing a penalty against Slovenia in the 2024 European Championship.

He noted that no player misses a penalty on purpose and attributed Ronaldo’s tears to his competitive nature and passion for football.