Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah has joked that while preparing to take the penalty kick in Ghana's 2006 World Cup match against the United States of America, he dropped 5 kilograms.
The Black Stars were desperate to collect another three points to assure qualification to the next round of the 2006 World Cup after a setback to Italy in the first game and a historic victory against the Czech Republic.
In the first half, Haminu Draman gave the debutants the lead in the 22nd minute, but Dempsey equalised with just a few minutes remaining.
Appiah then got the chance to restore the Stars' advantage in the 45th minute, and while he converted the penalty and gave Ghana the three points, the player has since spoken out about the pressure he felt before taking the penalty.
Stephen Appiah, a contributor on JoySports' Euros 2020 coverage, said that the anticipation of millions of Ghanaians expecting him to deliver was enough to motivate him to drop five kilograms.