Fan View: Ghanaians react as Stephen Appiah snubs Asamoah Gyan in top five Black Stars list

Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan has been trending on Twitter after former Juventus midfielder and national team captain, Stephen Appiah omitted the striker from his list of top five Ghana players.

The roster included Appiah himself, three-time African Footballer of the Year, Abedi Ayew Pele, Chelsea legend Michael Essien, ex-Leeds United frontman Tony Yeboah and former Blackpool goalkeeper Richard ‘Olele’ Kingston.

The former Sunderland, Udinese, and Rennes man is also Africa’s current top scorer at the World Cup with six goals.

Gyan, who made his Ghana debut in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Somalia in 2003 in a game in which Appiah captained the Black Stars, is also the scorer of Ghana’s debut goal at the World Cup, a sublime effort against the Czech Republic in 2006.

1. Stephen Appiah ????
2. Abedi Pele
3. Tony Yeboah
4. Michael Essien
5. Richard Kingson https://t.co/xyE85ebgEM

— Stephen Appiah (@StephenAppiah) May 10, 2021

Interestingly, most of the reactions reference a famous incident at the 2010 World Cup when Gyan, after Ghana won an extra-time stoppage-time penalty against Uruguay, collected the ball from a seemingly penalty-ready Appiah to take the kick, only to spurn the opportunity. That penalty could have made Ghana the only African nation to have reached the semi-final of the World Cup to date.

Below are some of the reactions:

I don't usually argue about this man but when it comes to the Black Stars striking role, nobody dey match Asamoah Gyan. @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 lemme say this while you are alive????????

1/2 pic.twitter.com/g8XtOquHg5

— @The Writer (@JOELESHUN4) May 10, 2021

Don't think about the bad memories alone. think about the good ones too. It's only a trophy wey @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 no win but no striker dey pass am for Black Stars. 2/2

Name your player and let's talk. pic.twitter.com/ojTuQZsYKD

— @The Writer (@JOELESHUN4) May 10, 2021

People are entering Stephen Tornado Appiah paaa for excluding Asamoah Gyan in that list @IkeAsempah says Essien the most unpatriotic Ghanaian player shouldn’t be there.

— Benedict Owusu (@KwesiBenedict) May 10, 2021

So Stephen Appiah chose Olele over Asamoah Gyan in Top 5 Black Stars players of all time???? eii Machoman biaa y3 emotional. Sekof Small Penalty Baby jet spoil tswww

— Twilight????????????‍☠️ (@the_marcoli_boy) May 10, 2021

The dispatch rider rn : pic.twitter.com/dXCZJVgjKN

— Jaabs ???? (@mo_jaabs) November 2, 2020

This is a matter of choices. Even in our families we have our favourites. Stephen Appiah chose those he felt are the best/his favourites, and that’s fine. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think highly of Asamoah Gyan. People are being unnecessarily sentimental with this thing.

— Kofi McAshietey (@esikyire) May 10, 2021

People are entering Stephen Tornado Appiah paaa for excluding Asamoah Gyan in that list @IkeAsempah says Essien the most unpatriotic Ghanaian player shouldn’t be there.

— Benedict Owusu (@KwesiBenedict) May 10, 2021

???????? Asamoah Gyan was the first player in history to score in NINE consecutive international tournaments.

Certainly top 5 ✅ pic.twitter.com/NI3D8zv5Ig

— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) May 10, 2021

Stephen Appiah go fit choose Caleb Ekuban over Asamoah Gyan. Charley the penalty really pain am????

— Teflon???????? (@Tef_lon_don) May 10, 2021

Since we are a talking about Asamoah Gyan
He didn't hurt only Ghanaians but the whole Africa was well ???????? pic.twitter.com/Pb8EMqHIFV

— Ofankor Tarzan ???? (@mmoaNkoaa) May 10, 2021