From playing on the streets of Accra for fun to enrolling in the efficient Liberty Professionals academy system, Ghana skipper Asamoah Gyan has come a long way.
The striker has risen from being a ‘Kobolor’ (a child who departs home to hustle) to become one of the world's best-paid players.
Now, he’s on the brink of history, and could become the first Ghana player and only the fifth-ever African to bag 50 international goals.
The first time I caught a glimpse of Gyan was when Liberty Professionals played Tano Bofoakwa in the 2003 Ghana Premier League. Even back then, it was easy to predict a bright future for the forward, but was there any guarantee that he could sidestep the various obstacles facing young players and realise his potential?
Gyan in 2005 | Who could have predicted his record-breaking goal haul?
Subsequently, Gyan was fortunate to be managed with the assistance of his elder brother Baffour, a former Ghana international. Gyan burst onto the scene later that year at 17 years and 362 days, when he came on for Isaac Boakye and scored against Somalia in a World Cup qualifier to become Ghana's youngest-ever scorer, a record that he still holds.
The former Udinese striker hasn't always been prolific at club level but he is a cult hero for the Black Stars.
He became the first Ghana player to score at the Fifa World Cup when the country made their maiden appearance in 2006 against Czech Republic, and after two more mundials, he currently holds the record of the highest number of goals (seven) scored at the World Cup by an African, surpassing Roger Milla.
Suprisingly, many of his critics believe he can never score a hat-trick for Ghana after hauling in six braces, with some insisting that they are better than him despite the global recognition.
“Gyan rarely scores goals with his head but I scored more than 20 international goals with my head and several at club side,” former Ghana skipper Kwesi Owusu told Goal .
He added: “How can a player who hardly scores two goals and can’t even score hat-trick for his country surpass me?"
Despite his international goal haul, Gyan hasn't enjoyed as much club success as his contemporaries
Nonetheless, it’s hard not to celebrate Gyan’s record.
The 29-year-old has scored 48 goals in total for his country, of which 18 goals have come in international friendlies, 10 in World Cup qualifiers, seven at the World Cup, six in Cup of Nations qualifiers and seven at the continental showpiece itself
Against South Korea in June 2014, he took his tally to 40 and equalled Ghana’s all-time goal scoring record previously held by Edward Acquah and the aforementioned Owusu. A fortnight later, Gyan became Ghana's all-time top scorer with his strike in a 2-2 stalemate against Germany in the World Cup after a classy assist by Juventus midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah.
The marksman, having registered his 48th goal for his country in the 2015 Afcon qualifiers against Mauritius, is two goals shy of the enviable 50-goal mark. Should he score twice against Comoros on Tuesday in the second leg of the World Cup qualifier in Kumasi, he will become only the fifth player from Africa, after Hossam Hassan, Godfrey Chitalu, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, to score 50 goals or more.
Gyan has achieved his feat in 94 appearances, the highest number of caps for any Ghanaian player since inception of the country's football.
The striker equalled Richard Kingson's record of 90 games after featuring in the final of the 2015 Afcon against Cote d’Ivoire and has gone on to play four more games.
However, ‘Baby Jet’ hasn't scored in the last five months since his brace against Mauritius and made a cameo appearance in the first leg in Mitsamiouli. He is expected to start the second leg on Tuesday, and if he does, Ghana fans in Kumasi will be hoping—or even expecting—to see the half century broken.
If the hitman manages it, progression to the World Cup group stage might just be the icing on the cake!
Asamoah Gyan's goals: The complete record
1. 16th November 2003 (World Cup qualifier) Ghana 5-0 Somalia
2. 25 June 2004 (Friendly) Mozambique 0-1 Ghana
3. 3 July 2004 (World Cup qualifier) Uganda 1-1 Ghana
4. 3 March 2005 (Friendly) Kenya 2-2 Ghana
5. 27 March 2005 (World Cup qualifier) DR Congo 1-1 Ghana
6. 8 October 2005 (World Cup qualifier) Cape Verde 0-4 Ghana
7 & 8. 14 November 2005 (Friendly) Saudi Arabia 1-3 Ghana
9. 4 June 2006 (Friendly) South Korea 1-3 Ghana
10. 17 June 2006 (World Cup) Czech Republic 0-2 Ghana
11 & 12. 8 October 2006 (Friendly) South Korea 1-3 Ghana
13. 21 August 2007 (Friendly) Senegal 1-1 Ghana
14. 20 January 2008 (Afcon) Ghana 2-1 Guinea
15 & 16. 9 September 2009 (Friendly) Japan 4-3 Ghana
17. 15 January 2010 (Afcon) Ivory Coast 3-1 Ghana
18. 24 January 2010 (Afcon) Angola 0-1 Ghana
19. 28 January 2010 (Afcon) Nigeria 0-1 Ghana
20. 1 June 2010 (Friendly) Netherlands 4-1 Ghana
21. 13 June 2010 (World Cup) Serbia 0-1 Ghana
22. 19 June 2010 (World Cup) Australia 1-1 Ghana
23. 26 June 2010 (World Cup) United States 1-2 Ghana
24. 29 March 2011 (Friendly) England 1-1 Ghana
25. 7 June 2011 (Friendly) South Korea 2-1 Ghana
26. 2 September 2011 (Afcon qualifier) Swaziland 2-0 Ghana
27. 8 October 2011 (Afcon qualifier) Sudan 0-2 Ghana
28. 28 January 2012 (Afcon) Mali 0-2 Ghana
29. 10 January 2013 (Friendly) Egypt 0-3 Ghana
30. 13 January 2013 (Friendly) Tunisia 2-4 Ghana
31. 28 January 2013 (Friendly) Niger 0-3 Ghana
32. 24 March 2013 (World Cup qualifier) Ghana 4-0 Sudan
33 & 34. 7 June 2013 (World Cup qualifier) Sudan 1-3 Ghana
35. 16 June 2013 (World Cup qualifier) Lesotho 0-2 Ghana
36 & 37. 14 August 2013 (Friendly) Turkey 2-2 Ghana
38 & 39. 15 October 2013 (World Cup qualifier) Ghana 6-1 Egypt
40. 9 June, 2014 (Friendly) Ghana 4-0 South Korea
41. 21 June, 2014 (World Cup) Germany 2-2 Ghana
42. 26th June, 2014 (World Cup) Ghana1-2 Portugal
43. 10th September 2014 (Afcon qualifier) Togo 2-3
44. 11 October 2014(Afcon qualifier) Guinea 1-1 Ghana
45. 15 October 2014(Afcon qualifier) Ghana 3-1 Guinea
46. 23 January 2015 (Afcon) Algeria 0-1 Ghana
47 & 48. 14 June 2015 (Afcon qualifier) Ghana 7-1 Mauritius
SOURCE: Evans Gyamera-Antwi (Goal.com)
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