Sports News of Friday, 1 March 2024
Source: Citi Sports
Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Kwami Etse Dafeamekpor, says former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan intentionally missed his penalty kick attempt to prevent the then NDC-led Ghana government from getting all the glory.
He said this in an interview on TV XYZ as he reacted to Gyan’s appointment to 2024 New Patriotic Party Presidential Flag bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s Manifesto Sub-Committee on Sports.
Gyan, who recently retired from playing professional football, scored crucial goals for Ghana as the Black Stars got to the brink of becoming the first African nation to make it to the FIFA World Cup semifinal stage.
However, his late penalty kick attempt against Uruguay, hit the crossbar and sailed over sending the game to a penalty shootout.
Ghana went on to lose the ensuing penalty shootout and according to the South Dayi MP, Gyan’s affiliation to the New Patriotic Party influenced the “Baby Jet” to delibrately miss his attempt so the sitting government won’t get the glory.
“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 Member of Parliament said.
Asamoah Gyan is Africa’s top goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup.