Ghana haunted by Uruguay again as World Cup history repeats itself



On paper, Ayew and Ghana were faced with a penalty. In reality, it was so much more.

And everyone knew it. Ayew did, Ghana did, and Uruguay did. La Celeste, the masters of the dark arts, turned to their tricks. They surrounded the penalty spot. Ghana’s players formed a ring around Ayew, as if to protect him from their negative energy.

He was left, alone, 12 yards out and with Rochet to beat.

The high camera angle at the Al Janoub Stadium even mirrored that at Soccer City. The shot and the framing that has lived in the heads of Ghanaians was here, in front of their eyes.

How many times must Ayew have seen Gyan’s penalty in the time since? Perhaps enough to understand that Gyan’s error was that he was too charged by the moment, his run-up too quick and shot powered by too much emotion. Maybe, then, there was sense in a slower, more considered approach.

Ayew’s crucial miss came in a 2-0 defeat as Ghana were knocked out

But perhaps what was more crucial about Gyan’s miss was knowing how deep a mark it left, that it lived not just in the head of the taker but in the consciousness of a country. Ghana understood that when they were reunited with La Diablo himself.

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Ayew’s miss will not leave behind the same trail of hurt. It was soft, saved comfortably by Rochet, but it will not haunt Ghana in the same way, simply because of how early it came, and perhaps by the fact that Uruguay themselves were knocked out, following South Korea’s late winner.

It did not give Ghana another chance and, on paper, they could not have asked for a better one against Uruguay. But then reality came, and history weighed too heavily on the moment for them to stand.

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