Uruguay striker Luis Suarez says he will not apologize for the deliberate handball that knocked Ghana out of the 2010 World Cup as the two countries prepare to meet on Friday.
In what was one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history, Suarez denied Ghana a late winner in the World Cup quarter-finals 12 years ago when he deliberately handled Dominic Adiyah’s shot on the line of goal
Suarez was shown a straight red card for conceding a penalty and then celebrated off the pitch when Asamoah Gyan crashed his shot against the crossbar. Uruguay beat Ghana on penalties to deny the Black Stars the chance to become the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Image: Suarez has driven to the line and Asamoah Gyan has missed the penalty
Twelve years later, Uruguay and Ghana meet in the group stage on Friday, with the winner knocking the other out of the tournament.
Suarez took part in a pre-match press conference on Thursday, where a reporter told the striker that sections of the Ghanaian public describe him as “the devil himself” and expect his retirement.
“I did the handball, but the Ghana player missed the penalty, not me,” replied the striker.
Picture: Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty spot as Ghana ended up losing to 10-man Uruguay on penalties.
“Maybe I would apologize if I made a tackle, injured a player and got a red card. But in this situation… it’s not my fault.
“I didn’t miss the penalty. The player who missed the penalty, he would do the same. It’s not my responsibility how he took the penalty.”
This is Ghana’s chance for revenge
Sky Sports’ Ben Grounds:
Mark the date: December 2 at 3pm.
This is a shootout for the last 16, a decider tied to a dozen years of narrative and malaise.
When Ghana take on Uruguay at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, the Black Stars will be aiming for revenge.
Image: Suárez saw red for his handball
Former captain Stephen Appiah recently said in an interview with Al Jazeera: “I get goosebumps when I hear about the 2010 World Cup. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Ghana return to the world stage in Qatar and, rather delightfully, Suarez remains in the Uruguay national team.
It’s a chance for a nation to break free from a nightmare that has gripped them for 12 long years.
Speaking ahead of the tournament about the rematch with Suarez, Ghana coach Otto Addo said: “I’m sure this will stick in the back of some players’ minds because it was a decisive game, not just for Ghana but for Africa as a whole.”
What do Ghana and Uruguay need to qualify?
Portugal have already secured their progress with two wins from two, but still need a point to be declared group winners.
Ghana is the only challenger left for top spot, but the Africans could still finish behind South Korea and Uruguay.
For these two teams, the equation is simple: win or go home. But even winning may not be enough – a win for both Uruguay and South Korea would leave them level on four points and separated only by goal difference, while a win for South Korea would be academic if Ghana beat Uruguay and a point for Ghana along with a Korea win would also decide goal difference, and possibly goals scored, the final decider.