I wish the world could go back, so I could redeem myself – Asamoah Gyan on 2010 penalty miss

Ex-Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan has said he wished he could turn back the hands of time so he can redeem himself following his crucial penalty that led to the Black Stars exiting the quarterfinal stage of the 2010 World Cup against Uruguay.

Gyan, who is Africa’s top scorer in World Cup history with six goals in 11 appearances across three tournaments, had a stellar career for the Black Stars of Ghana. But his successes have been unable to wipe away the memory of most football fans, especially Ghanaians.

The former Sunderland striker was given the opportunity to make Ghana the first African side to reach the semifinal of a World Cup tournament in the South Africa 2010 edition following a last-minute handball by Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in the penalty area, but he was denied by the crossbar from the spot kick despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Ghana eventually lost in the ensuing penalty shootout, missing out on a place in the semifinal when the spot was within their grasp.

Gyan remembered the painful incident, as quoted by Eurofoot, saying "Till today, any time I'm alone, it still haunts me… sometimes I feel like the world should go back again so I can redeem myself. But I know this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I accept that because there is nothing I can do about it. I went there to save my country, but I ended up being the villain, which I accept because I know how people feel."

According to Asamoah Gyan, the aftermath of the incident was a disaster for him, stating "It was a disaster. It was crazy. I couldn't sleep the whole night because I was crying the whole night until morning... All I was telling myself was to get another chance because I knew I could redeem myself even if not football, something else. But even if I don't, my kids will do it one day”, he added.

After 20 years of dedicated service to club and nation, Gyan announced his retirement in June 2023 at age 37, with 51 goals in 109 caps for the Black Stars.

Check the tweet below:

???????????? Asamoah Gyan on missing penalty for Ghana vs Uruguay in 2010 World Cup…

"Till today, any time alone, it still haunts me… sometimes I feel like the world should go back again so I can redeem myself."

"But I know this is something that will haunt me for the rest of my… pic.twitter.com/IUnTMG1xTn

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 10, 2023