Former Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari has refuted claims of a fallout with ex-Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan after the latter referred to his teammates as “cowards” for not stepping up to take the crucial penalty in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay.
During an Instagram Live session on January 2, Gyan revisited the heartbreaking moment, criticizing his teammates for not taking responsibility for the spot-kick he ultimately missed.
“When the penalty miss happened, I was getting abused and called names because others said I should have left it to others. Why didn’t the others step forward to take it? They were afraid. Cowards. I will say it. They are cowards,” Gyan stated.
However, Muntari, who was a key figure in Ghana’s squad at the time, rejected Gyan’s assertion but instead praised his former teammate’s leadership and positive influence on the team.
“Asamoah Gyan was the light of the team when we were playing. When we had pressure going into games, he used to sing and dance a lot, which made us forget about the pressure. Maybe he is not happy with something. I don’t think there was no support. I love Asamoah Gyan,” Muntari told 3Sports.
Both Muntari and Gyan played significant roles in Ghana’s golden era, featuring in three consecutive World Cups—2006, 2010, and 2014—while amassing a combined total of 193 caps for the national team.
