Former Ghana captain, Asamoah Gyan is hoping for a second chance to retake the missed penalty against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal.
Ghana was then on the verge of becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinal of the Mundial in South Africa, but that did not happen because of the missed penalty.
Gyan, who had excelled throughout the global showpiece, missed a crucial penalty in the infamous quarter-final against the South American side which eventually led to Ghana’s elimination.
The miss led to intense scrutiny and criticism, with accusations that he was not concentrating during the penalty kick.
Speaking on the incident, Gyan hoped for a second opportunity but said, “That penalty was meant to be,” he told Onua TV.
“It was meant to be. My leg was supposed to be in a certain position to kick the ball in a certain way but I didn’t get it well. Our first game against Guinea in the 2008 AFCON was a penalty and how I scored that ball was the same way I wanted to play that penalty but…”
“I wish the clock of time could wind back so I retake that penalty. I was hurt because it was something I could do and if I could score that penalty, that would make Ghanaians happy,” he said.
Despite the backlash and vilification, Gyan, who announced his retirement from active football, remains the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer in the World Cup.