Four times Asamoah Gyan made ‘sacrifices’ for Ghana

Sacrifice is essentially the consideration of giving up anything valuable, whether it be tangible or intangible. Human beings are designed to make sacrifices at some point in their lives, which makes the act a natural aspect of life.

In a similar vein, footballers face adversities during their careers that put them in difficult situations and force them to make compromises.

Some players, however, cannot afford to make several compromises. According to Ghanaian legend Asamoah Gyan, he made more concessions than any other Black Stars player in team history.

In his interview with Asempa FM, the Black Stars' all-time top scorer stated that he had the national team at heart and made more sacrifices than any player in history.

"I always say that there are no players in Ghana's history who have made more sacrifices than me. I don't see any player. Everybody knows it, even those at the GFA know. When you talk about sacrifices, I know what I'm talking about. The Black Stars was always on my heart. I made sure I did everything to contribute whenever I represented the national team."

Therefore, GhanaWeb looks into some of the sacrifices Asamoah Gyan has made for Ghana.

Playing through sickness against Algeria at 2015 AFCON

Unwell Asamoah Gyan saved Ghana from a group stage exit while playing through illness at the 2015 AFCON.

Prior to the game, the Black Stars medical team confirmed that Gyan was doubtful because he had contracted malaria.

However, the former Sunderland striker decided to play through the illness because Ghana was on the brink of an embarrassing exit. He went on to play 90 minutes and scored a stoppage-time winner to qualify Ghana to the quarter-finals.

In his autobiography LeGyandary, he narrated how challenging it was for him on the field: “I walked onto the pitch breathless, looking pale and sickly but yet with the heart of a warrior ready to cause damage to the opponent. My body wanted to sit down but my love for the team and my country wouldn’t let me,” Gyan wrote in his book.

“The game started and I had a chance but couldn’t do much with the ball. The Algerians, realising how unwell I was, kept pushing me off the ball at the least opportunity. I kept pushing on but lacked the characteristic sharpness of my play.

“The team tried to keep the game going by helping me in attack. Everyone realised how ineffective and out of place I was on the field.”

Chose Ghana over Manchester City move in 2008

One of Asamoah Gyan's biggest sacrifices was putting a move to Manchester City on hold to play for Ghana at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

In a previous interview, he said Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has just bought the club and presented him with a lucrative deal but he suggested discussing the deal after the AFCON.

“I always say I’m very patriotic. At the time Sheik Mansour had freshly bought Man City and they wanted to sign me,” Gyan told Dan Kwaku Yeboah in an interview.

He added that the citizens then moved on from him to sign Togolese international, Emmanuel Adebayor, in the January transfer window.

“But I had the national team at heart. I chose the national team over everything. That’s why some things pain me and they moved on from me to sign Adebayor from Arsenal."

Launching talent hunting hub

Gyan after retirement has embarked on a talent hunt for Ghana football through his annual Babay Jet U-16 tournament.

The tournament aims at identifying talented footballers and nurturing them to give Ghana football a reliable future.

Ghana U-20 star Matthew Anim Cudjoe is one of the stars that have emerged from his talent hunt.

Paying for Black Queens bonuses

Asamoah Gyan's sacrifice for the nation goes beyond just playing through injuries. He also supports other national teams monetarily.

In 2015, he gave Black Queens $10,000 to inspire them ahead of their All Games in Congo.

"Players of Ghana's female national team, the Black Queens were left in tears after captain Asamoah Gyan adviced them about their careers before donating $10,000 to boost their participation at the upcoming All African Games," GFA confirmed in a statement

Watch Sports Check with Black Stars player Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer below



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