Imagine losing one of your friends after they reportedly drowned while trying to rescue their girlfriend from the same fate. Being accused of ritually sacrificing them for the sake of acquiring magical powers would make you feel even worse about the entire tragedy, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, Ghanaian soccer player Asamoah Gyan is currently facing this problem after the death of his friend Castro the Destroyer, a Ghanaian rapper who died in a suspected drowning accident while taking a jet-ski out with his girlfriend. At the time, the two were vacationing with Gyan at a Ghanaian resort.

However, the story didn't end there. Rumors began to circulate that Castro hadn't drowned, but that he had been ritually sacrificed by Gyan. Eventually, the public curiosity became so great that, in response to these rumors, a journalist named Daniel Kenu asked Gyan for his thoughts on the allegations at a recent press conference. Furious about the accusation, Gyan had to be restrained from physically confronting Kenu. However, just a couple days later, Gyan's brother and a group of his friends took down Kenu themselves, severely beating the journalist, almost to the point of death.

Since the beating, the rumors surrounding Gyan have only intensified. As a result, the star soccer player will hold a press conference refuting these allegations. Today, a statement released on Gyan's website provided full details about the presser:

The Gyan Family will hold a press conference on Wednesday address recent issues of public interest including the disappearance of musical icon Theophilus Tagoe (aka Castro). The press conference which will take place at the Alisa Hotel will be addressed by counsel for the family Kissi Agyabeng. It will be recalled that Theophilus Tagoe (aka Castro) and Janet Bandu went missing while on a holiday hangout with Family and Friends of the Gyan's at a resort in Ada back in July. Relentless efforts are still being made to find the missing duo. The press conference will therefore seek to update the public through the media on the status of investigations so far. The opportunity will also be used to officially respond to some allegations and untruths bundled about in the media over the role of Asamoah Gyan in the duo's disappearance. The press meeting will also touch on the recent court case instigated by the Ashanti Regional editor of Graphic Communications Group Daniel Kenu against Baffour Gyan and Samuel Anim Addo. There will also be an opportunity for the press to ask related questions in a Q&A session during the press meeting. All media houses are therefore invited to attend this press conference which will begin at 1pm (local time) at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.

While we heavily, heavily doubt the legitimacy of these allegations and find them insensitive to Gyan's pain, it's hard not to be amazed by this story. What's the American equivalent of a saga like this one? Metta World Peace getting accused of practicing voodoo? Hey, it worked for Pedro Cerrano.

[via SBNation, Screamer]