Saturday, July 03, 2010

When Gyan Split Africa's Life

When Gyan spilt Africa's life

Siddharth Saxena, TNN,
Jul 4, 2010, 02.41am IST

In 1990, when Cameroon allowed England off the mat in that classic quarterfinal in Naples in the Italian World Cup, Africa's dominant team then was accused of showing tactical naivety by a western media stung by the Indomitable Lions' supreme power and athleticism, their lack of respect for their bigger rivals and most of all, their reluctance to fall back and park the team bus in front of their goal after taking what seemed a decisive 2-1 lead with seven minutes to go.

Two decades and almost to a day later, in Soccer City, Asamoah Gyan had the whole world in his hands. And then in the most crucial 129th minute of African football's life, he spilt it.

As the player looks for places where he can bury his personal demons, once again the world is asking the same question. How could a player, any player, not know that he doesn't have to strike the 129th-minute penalty against the goalkeeper's crosspiece? Gyan was no Frank Lampard for us to immediately understand that this was bound to happen. This World Cup, the Ghanaian has been amongst the most composed, most sure fire striker in front of goal, the impassiveness of his face mirroring his ice-cold personality.

How unjust was the eventual outcome of the missed penalty kick when it was born out of the most flagrant of fouls - Luis Suarez's desperate handball on the goalline. But can you really call it a foul?

It offered Ghana a lifeline. Were they too eager to lunge at it? The final minutes of the extra time between Ghana and Uruguay offered an interesting insight into how the most trained - and Suarez's club, Ajax are considered football's epitome of training and learning - and seasoned players turn human when confronted by such a life and death situation. They think nothing of using their hands to save their team, even if that is not a certainty it will happen. Act now, think later.

Uruguay will get to live another day - villain or not, you decide - but spare a thought for Gyan, and Ghana. If the World Cup for Africa had to end, it had to end like this. If it wasn't victory, any tame exit just wouldn't do. How else, would you then account for the biggest show in this continent, becoming just another regular four-yearly jaunt?.

The mood then was magical, you could feel it even in lukewarm Port Elizabeth, but you still couldn't escape the ominous mood in the air.
It did not go away when Kevin-Prince Boateng got a Fancy Dan overhead kick almost right and also, when Sulley Muntari got his bad boy act in place and gave Ghana, no Africa, the lead.

In the restaurants of Port Elizabeth, which was awash in Oranje after the Dutch had knocked the Brazilians out, local waitresses swayed to some invisible music as they served an overcrowded house. They were more cheerful than usual. Ask them why, and they'd reply, "It's because of Ghana."

Apart from the wide grin, few things have come readily for Africa. In the wee hours of Friday, Ghana were bent upon altering that norm. Till about 129 minutes, they had had it changed for good. But then, Gyan proved that he too is human. And Africa's time is still to come. It will.

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