Asamoah Gyan got on the scoresheet in Al Ahli’s victory against Lokomotiv in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday, a match that secured top spot in Group A and a place in the knockout stages. The Ghanaian international spoke afterwards about his difficult time at the Dubai club.
Far from his best
Gyan is currently on a season-long loan from China’s Shanghai SIPG, but has struggled to recapture the form he showed during four trophy-laden years at Al Ain from 2011. At Ahli, he has scored nine goals in 22 appearances, although injuries and a loss of form have restricted him to only 12 starts. In all, Gyan has completed 90 minutes three times. He scored Ahli’s third goal against Lokomotiv.
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On a stop-start season
“As I said before, I’ve been battling injuries since day one,” Gyan said. “For me, I’ve had a disappointing season. But it is part of the game. As I always say, I know what I can do when I’m on the field. I scored and I am happy. The team won and we qualified to the next stage of the competition, so we’re looking forward to the next games.”
On his critics
“For me, I think a lot of people do not understand the game,” Gyan said. “That is what I feel. People don’t feel my situation, they go on what they see. They feel for themselves, they don’t feel for me – the player – all season, because I’ve not been consistent. You cannot expect a player to be 100 per cent when he goes on and off, on and off. They know what I can do when I was playing consistently.”
On silencing the doubters
“I’m here to prove to everybody I am still who I am,” Gyan said. “The right moment will come. All I need is consistency. But for me, the fans, the people here have not treated me fairly, that is what I can say. Sometimes I feel disappointed, but I always say you can judge me when I’m playing every game. You cannot judge me when I have injury. They expect me to perform like I used to.”
What the future entails
Gyan’s agreement with Ahli concludes this summer, with the club yet to confirm what their transfer policy ahead of next season will be. Gyan’s future with the Dubai side is therefore subject to much conjecture. However, he said: “Now I have a lot of options. I do not want to mention names, but there is a lot on the table. I will decide at the end of the season.”
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