Asamoah Gyan reveals what Stephen Appiah said in viral photo after penalty miss

According to Gyan, Appiah was only encouraging him after he missed a last-minute penalty against Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The 36-year-old was widely criticised after missing a crucial penalty in extra time, which would have seen Ghana become the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Despite going on to score the Black Stars’ first in the ensuing shootout, Uruguay won 4-2 to advance to the last four.

Gyan and Appiah Pulse Ghana

Speaking about the viral photo after his penalty miss, which has been ascribed to all sorts of interpretations, Gyan said Appiah was only encouraging him.

“At the time he was motivating me and that was after the penalty. I was very worried going into the post-match penalty shootout but he came and told me that he knows what I can do. I was the best penalty taker and it was a mistake,” the veteran striker said on Peace FM.

“I shouldn’t be thinking that I won’t go and play the penalty. He was behind the reason why I took some of the spot-kicks although I wanted not to play but his motivational words helped me to get that vim to take the penalty.

"He was telling me not to think that I won’t play but that caption (that picture) came with a lot of opinions. In Ghana, they like spreading negative and everyone has something to say when anything happens. They were saying he warned me not to play.”

Meanwhile, Gyan is currently on a media tour as he prepares to officially launch his memoir, titled ‘Legyandary: the story of Asamoah Gyan, on April 30.