Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan has revealed that the penalty miss against Uruguay at the quarter finals of the last World Cup is still a painful memory.
The player�s kick hit the cross bar in the last minute of extra time against the South Americans when Ghana was awarded a penalty following a handball by Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez but four years down the line, Gyan has expressed hurt at the episode.
� Honestly, it has been haunting me since then. I think about it in my quiet moments and I just cannot forget it. I always ask if there will be another opportunity like this for me again. It really hurts.�
A successful kick would have sent Ghana to its first ever semi-final appearance at the World Cup but Gyan has chosen to be philosophical about the event and has stated how much of a learning experience it has been for him.
� I say that these things happen in life so I must move on. I have become a better person through that and it will help me at the upcoming World Cup.�
Gyan and his team-mates are in Ghana preparing for their first pre-World Cup friendly match against the Netherlands on the 31st of May in Rotterdam and he has indicated that he is ready to lead and guide the team to success in Brazil.
� I have grown over the course of two World Cups and I am ready to share what I have learned in my time with those coming up. 2006 saw a young me but now, I have matured and as captain, I urge the players to get ready for the biggest footballing competition.
We are going as a team and what will take us far will be our performance so we must be focused and qualify from the group.�
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