On Tuesday former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan announced his retirement from football, and while he may be remembered for his remarkable achievements on the football field, his career was not without its fair share of controversies.
From disputes with national team management to personal legal battles, Gyan found himself embroiled in various issues that made headlines.
In this article, we delve into five controversies that got the legendary striker into trouble, shedding light on the challenges he faced throughout his illustrious career.
Thugs supporting Gyan beat up a journalist
In 2014 after a national team in Kumasi, the brother of Gyan, Baffour, and the player’s media manager Samuel Anim Addo, were accused of gathering individuals to beat up a journalist. The journalist, Daniel Kenu, would later drop charges against his assailants. But this added to the problems surrounding Gyan with regard to what and when he knew about the assault in his name.
Putting his face on the captain’s armband
Early 2016 in a game that he felt would see him scoring his 50th goal for Ghana, Asamoah Gyan embossed a picture of his face on the national team’s armband.
The coach, Kwesi Appiah later clarified that Gyan had his permission.
But this even made it worse in the opinion of so many Ghanaians. For these Ghanaians, the armband was not a personal office but the symbol of a servant trusted with a leadership challenge.
Hairstyle, weight and goal celebrations
Asamoah Gyan’s goal celebrations are elaborate. That is well-known across the footballing world.
But that also makes him an easy target when things do not go his or the national team’s way. People cite the fact that Gyan seems only interested in the side attractions of the game.
The issue of side attractions is what may call his hairstyles and weight into question. Just like his celebrations, these come up when the national team is not winning.
Castro disappearance
In June 2014, he went on a jet ski with close friend and famous Ghanaian musician, Castro on the Volta Lake but the latter got drowned and has never showed up.
Rape and Sodomy allegation
A student, one Sarah Kwablah accused Asamoah Gyan of raping and sodomizing her.
Gyan later admitted he had sex with her, but it was consensual.
Kwablah was in the end charged with conspiracy to extort money from Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan.
Missing penalties
When Ghana beat the Czech Republic in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, many people forgot that Gyan missed a penalty. But it did not matter much because he scored another goal and Ghana won the day.
Fast forward to 2010, Gyan missed a penalty that would have made Ghana the first African country to reach the semi-final of a World Cup. To date, this brings bad emotions to millions in Africa.
In 2012, he also missed a penalty against Zambia in the semi-final of the AFCON. That could have put the country into the final against Ivory Coast.
Credit: Ghanasoccernet
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