In a candid conversation with Rio Ferdinand, former Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan offered a profound perspective on one of football’s most debated moments and the personal journey that followed.
The discussion inevitably turned to the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final, where Luis Suárez’s deliberate handball on the goal line and Gyan’s subsequent missed penalty in the final seconds of extra time sent Uruguay through. When asked if he still harboured negative feelings towards Suárez, Gyan’s answer was reflective.
“A day before the game, after training, I took 20 penalties – I scored 20,” Gyan revealed, highlighting his preparation. He then displayed a remarkable understanding of the incident. “For me, as a footballer, I understand. He did what he had to do to save his country. He cheated, yes, but he became a hero.”
For Gyan, the lasting pain is not focused on Suárez’s actions, but on his own missed opportunity. “I am the one who had the opportunity to punish him, and I didn’t. That is what hurts the most. It’s not about Suárez anymore; it’s about the fact that I didn’t finish the job. It’s something I will live with for the rest of my life.”
The emotional toll was so severe that Gyan confessed he considered walking away from football entirely after that moment. “I would have ended my career after that penalty miss,” he stated.
The conversation also covered a major turning point in his club career. After the World Cup, Gyan was at English side Sunderland when an offer arrived from UAE club Al Ain. “It was Sunderland who told me to leave because of the deal that came. It was a loan deal and they felt like they could capitalise on that, thinking that I’ll go for that deal and then I’ll come back.”
Gyan admitted that was his initial plan. However, his move to the Middle East unexpectedly changed his path. “Initially, that was my mind. Go for the deal and then come back but when I went there, I fell in love with the place. So I had to just focus on the option to buy and I said ‘okay, I will go with the option to buy because I fell in love with the players.'”
His time at Al Ain proved to be a prolific success, showing how a decision prompted by his club led to a new and celebrated chapter in his footballing story.
Gyan’s reflections paint a picture of a player who has learned to process a defining professional heartbreak with maturity, while also acknowledging the unexpected twists that shape a career.