The implications of Asamoah Gyan’s broken penalty vow

Globally revered players are noted for missing crucial spot kicks for their countries during their illustrious football careers. From Lionel Messi’s Rugby like penalty kick to the railing crossbar in South Africa, numerous footballers will always be remembered for one of such miss kicks.

Asamoah Gyan might have scored 51 goals for Ghana but that faithful day in South Africa will always be his nightmare despite his individual brilliance.

In 2012, Ghana captain Asamoah vowed not to take penalties for the senior national team affirming to his late mother’s advice not to effect spot kicks in a decade of turmoil for the senior national team, the Black Stars.

But on the July 2, 2017, Asamoah Gyan stepped up to effect a spot kick for the first time in five years against the US national football team in a friendly which he eventually failed to convert and has sprung some debate about him making false vows which connote total disregard for all Ghanaians and to the spiritual plight of the senior national team.

The top scorer for the Black Stars, Gyan, has missed a series of crucial penalties for the Black Stars. In 2006 World Cup clash against Czech Republic, Gyan missed a penalty but his miss was met on a flash as Ghana subsequently won the match.

The most noticeable of his penalty miss was in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when he missed from the penalty spot against Uruguay in the quarter finals which denied the Black Stars from making a record appearance in the semi-finals in the global podium.

But his worst experience came after missing a penalty in the semi-finals stage of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia where he took a vow not to effect penalties.

In June 2017, Gyan reaffirmed his stance on not taking penalties in regulation time for the Black Stars during an interview with a local radio station. But it is seemingly strange what prompted his decision to rescind his decision not to take penalties or could it be the case of disregard or showing courage to Ghanaians?

The implications of Gyan’s broken vow could affect the spiritual and psychological welfare of the team, as it doesn’t fall under the norms and values of the Ghanaian society.

The Holy Bible is very clear with the implication of making false vows and lightly disregarding sinful act because God wants us to keep our commitments as humans and broken oaths are punishable.

Matthew 5:33, 37: ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ . . . But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil. (NASB).

The Captain of the Black Stars has certainly demonstrated utmost bad faith with Ghanaians and moving forward immediate remedies by the management of the Black Stars team would have to be initiated on their return from the US, so as to put things in the right direction because he (Gyan) represents the face of the team an his image should not concealed around controversies.