2016 gave footballing fans a number of outrageous goals, but we take a look at the top misses of the calendar year.
7: Harry Kane vs West Ham
Tottenham attacker Harry Kane had an action-packed 2016 as he finished as the Premier League’s leading goal scorer and nearly guided Spurs to their first top division triumph in over fifty years.
While he was lethal in front of goal, pouncing on every opportunity he could, Kane found himself on the receiving end of an embarrassing miss against West Ham. The Spurs forward looked destined to score, but scuffed his footing making it look like an amateur effort. Fortunately for him, Tottenham ended up on the winning side.
6: Gonzalo Higuain vs Chile
The Copa America was a disappointing one for the Argentinean national side as they ended up bottling yet another final. They looked liked the better side throughout the game and had a chance to seal it when the ball fell to Gonzalo Higuain late into added time.
Ezequiel Lavezzi found Higuain with a good ball at the far-post after Lionel Messi did the dirty work to bring the ball into the final third, and all the Juventus striker was expected to do was apply the finishing touch.
Yet, against the expectations of everyone in the stadium, ended up hitting the ball off the side netting, which saw the Chilean players heave a sigh of relief.
5: Lionel Messi vs Chile
In the same game, Lionel Messi took an awful penalty in the shootout. The Argentian had been struggling with spot kicks off late, and the nerves of the occasion got the better of him this time around as his shot was off the frame.
The then Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent the wrong way and Messi suffered the ill fate of playing a role in his side’s loss. Messi decided to quit international football after the game, only to return a few months later.
4: Odion Ighalo vs United
The Watford talisman had a phenomenal 2015/16 campaign, but lady luck has not quite shined upon him this season. His goals and assists have dried down and he is no longer the feared frontman of last season.
The above assertion is made more palpable by his miss against Manchester United. Undefeated in the Premier League until their game against Watford, Ighalo could have given his side the ascendancy in the 12th minute, but made a mess off it by failing to ball into an open net.
3: Dele Alli vs Stoke
Known for his marauding runs from midfield into the opposition penalty area in the blink of an eye, Spurs midfielder Dele Alli was putting up a show for the away fans as he ran the Stoke City defence ragged before woefully failing to convert from the easiest of angles.
Tottenham fans will have happy memories from the match as they picked up an impressive 4-0 away victory, but that cold and winter night at Stoke may give the English midfielder nightmares.
2: Simone Zaza vs Germany
One of the most talked about moments of Euro 2016 was Simone Zaza’s horrendous penalty-shootout miss against Germany. Brought on as a substitute by tactical pragmatist Antonio Conte, Zaza turned the manager’s wishes into ashes by skying the penalty.
The Italy number 7 took an uncommon run up before completely botching his spot-kick and handing Germany the ascendancy. He was, however, signed up by West Ham a couple of months later.
1: Edin Dzeko vs Palermo
Edin Dzeko caps the list for his hilarious miss against Palermo in the Serie A. The AS Roma striker has made a name for himself by being a talismanic poacher, but this effort seemed completely opposite to the aforementioned statement.
Brazilian right-back played a stellar ball into the stride of Dzeko, but the forward managed to miss the frame of the goal as the ball rolled wide. The Palermo defenders had already given up hope, but the Bosnian handed them a pleasant surprise.
