Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has announced he has officially assumed penalty-taking duties after five years of a self-imposed exile.
Gyan became public enemy No.1 when he missed a penalty in the semi-final defeat to Zambia at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, two years after squandering a crucial penalty against Uruguay in the quarter-final of the world cup.
Fans besieged the residence of his late mother and that pushed him to take a break.
Last week during the friendly against USA, he surprised all and sundry when he elected himself to take the penalty but missed.
The 31-year-old, who is Ghana’s all-time top scorer with 51 goals, says he is back for spot-kicks.
”Yes I had initially stated I was not going to take penalty kicks for Ghana, but I have reflected on it I I have decided to start taking it again,” Gyan said on GTV’s Sports Highlight Show.
”I know Ghanaian are disappointed because I have missed a couple of penalty kicks in crucial games but as a footballer that has been the only challenge in my career.
”For now I have decided to go back and take penalties for the Black Stars and break that jinx, I wanted to break that jinx in the game against USA but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
”But for now I have decided to be taking penalty kicks for the Black Stars again.”
