Why I took the last penalty at the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup - Agyemang-Badu explains

Former Ghana international, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, has disclosed why he decided to take the last penalty kick that won Ghana its first U-20 World Cup in 2009.

Taking the last kick in a penalty shootout is a daunting task for many players, but not the case for Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu.

According to Agyemang-Badu, his mother had a revelation in a dream that he would become famous for a goal he would score at the tournament.

“My mum said I had scored a goal and my name was everywhere and so our game against Uzbekistan, I hit a ball from the center and it hit the crossbar, so after the game, I phoned my mother and informed her that Osofo Maame it [the goal] didn’t happen,” Agyemang-Badu said on the Nabil Show.

Although he missed that opportunity to score, the former Udinese stated that his mother comforted him to “wait and pray” because “it will come.”

The Black Satellites made it to the finals of the tournament where they defeated Brazil in the penalty shootout by 4-3 with Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu scoring Ghana’s winning goal.

However, reminiscing why he decided to go in for the toughest kick of the game, the player recalled that his mother’s dream inspired him to take the kick despite the consequences he would have to face if he missed it.

Agyemang-Badu said, “So in some seconds I said to myself what if I miss it? There would be pressure on me but the thought of what my mom told me reflected in just 10 seconds. So I gathered the courage and I said to myself that what my mom told me, this is my time to make a name for myself, nation and family.”