To be very honest i was surprised to see Asamaoh Gyan’s name in the 23-man shortlist for the joint Fifa World Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or awards.
My surprise was further heightened after going through the list without spotting the name of Argentine striker Diego Milito who’s crucial goals earned Inter Milan a treble but was virtually non-existent at the World Cup.
But one cannot begrudge the 24-year-old’s inclusion considering his memorable exploits at the 2010 World Cup for both the right and wrong reasons – after all he was nowhere near the compilation of the prestigious list.
Gyan’s quality is never in doubt especially with moments like the famous 26th June night at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, where his superb controlled finish earned Ghana its first quarter final place at the senior World Cup against the USA.
But again to be fair, would one say the form of a player in a space of four weeks in a tournament, say.. the world cup overshadows one that spans for about eight weeks in a regular football season? I doubt that.
Let us call a spade a spade and not a little spoon, we all love Gyan when he is in tip-top form but becomes public enemy no.1 when he is in his erratic mood like the 2008 Nations Cup.
Fair play to the ‘Baby Jet’, his performance at the world cup has bought him a spot on a prestigious list of 23 players – bringing into high disrepute in my humble opinion, the credibility of the compilers.
Perhaps if we have a more consistent Asamoah Gyan, there would be no need for this bone of contention.