Asamoah Gyan will never forget the 2nd July 2010. In the last second of extra time, the last kick of the game before the drama of a penalty shoot out, Gyan was due to take a penalty which would have seen Ghana through to the Semi Finals and make a whole continent rejoice. After Luis Suarez’ hand ball on the goal line, Gyan stepped up to take a penalty. Having already scored two so far, you had to feel that Africa was about to erupt in joy and emotion. But Gyan went for power, and smashed the crossbar. Much similair to John Terrys infamous penalty miss in the Champions League Final of 2008 , Gyan had blown it. The weight of Africa on his shoulders, he could not convert the penalty. The inevitable penalty shoot out followed and misses from two Ghanians (including a 20 year old) meant Uruguay won 4-2 on penalties.
After struggling through the opening 20 minutes, Ghana came into the game and started playing some exceptional football. Boateng was sensational and Uruguay were shaken. It looked like it would be 0-0 at the break but one of the goals of the tournament from Sulley Muntari meant Africa rejoiced, and Ghana led 1-0. Joy turned to devestation though, as Diego Forlan’s wonderful free kick in the 55th minute levelled the match. That was the moment which turned this game into one of the, if not the, game of the tournament. Suarez had chances in the following minutes and the game was as open as anything but with the score at 1-1, extra time awaited. Ghana seemed to have a burst of energy in extra time as Gyan had two chances to score but wasted one, and the other was blocked. Penalties seemed inevitable, but in the dying seconds one of the most extraordinary moments of the tournament happened. A great free kicki whipped into the box was met by the feet of Appiah, Suarez cleared off the line but a header from Adiyah looked like winning it, until Luis Suarez cleared off the line again, this time with his hands. A red card and penalty followed and every single neutral in the world held the breath as Gyan stepped up for the penalty, and then every single neutral in the world let out a collective gasp as Gyan hit the crossbar. The tears of a continent followed, as Uruguay won the penalty shoot out. But this will always be remembered as the evening when Asamoah Gyan, quite simply, blew it.
