Many people touted Ronaldo's success when he became the first player to score in eight consecutive tournaments. This record however is in dispute. Today we're looking at an African superstar who's record happens to be greater than the Portuguese legend.
"People disregard my achievements in World Cup history, but I want the whole world to know that I have not been given the fair shake, but records will remain forever."
Image Source: ghanacrusader.com
This quote is attributed to Ghanaian striker, Asamoah Gyan, who tweeted after several football commentators mistakenly credited Cristiano Ronaldo as being the first player ever to score at eight successive tournaments during the 2018 Russia World Cup.
It was Ronaldo's stunning hat-trick in the 3-3 draw against Spain in their opening match that brought his successive number of tournaments in which he had scored to eight, and roused the controversey surrounding the record.
Ronaldo was not the first to reach this mark. When Gyan found the back of the net against Algeria back at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he in fact, became the first to reach the milestone that many are crediting to Ronaldo.
Several arguments have been raised to diminish Gyan's goal scoring achievements:
One is that the Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years, which makes it 'easier' for Gyan to reach this target, as - along with the World Cup - he has the opportunity to play in three tournaments every four years. Ronaldo's exploits come in the European Championships and the World Cup, which means he has the opportunity of playing an international tournament every two years.
Image Source: primenewsghana.com
The other argument is that the Nations Cup is not really a 'major' competition and does not have the prestige of the European Championship. This has been quickly rubbished by some analysts who say the competition continues to feature top African players plying their trade in many of the world's top leagues.
Regardless of competition or frequency of tournaments, the record books will always show that Gyan was in fact, the first to score in eight successive tournaments. If you're a fan of international football, make sure you
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