Penalty kicks are both science and luck - Damba

Abukari Damba has chosen a middle ground on the never-ending debate of penalty kicks being scientific or mere luck.

Across the world, penalty kicks divide opinions. While some think its science and requires long periods of dedication, practice and mental strength, others like Cristiano Ronaldo believe that it’s a lottery and only the ones with luck on their side score.

Damba who witnessed a few shootouts in his goalkeeping career says its combination of both.

The former Ghana goalkeepers’ trainer maintains that one need both elements to be on his side to be able to execute a kick precisely.

He opined that the most crucial aspect of taking kicks is picking a spot and hitting the ball as powerful as you can.

“In my opinion its both. Sometimes you can get the direction right but the ball hits the post. It’s about you taking your spot and hitting the ball as hard as you can. Sometimes the goalkeeper can get the direction right and if he has a very strong hand can stop the ball. If the kick is very hard, keeper can the direction but because of the power of the ball it might force the ball into the net. So it all depends on how you execute the kick".

You must be very sure and we must all understand that it comes with a lot of technique. Shooting the ball comes with a lot of technique which is taught. Penalty is a teachable skill. So it begins with basics”, he told GhanaWeb.