World Cup 2022: ‘I have no apology’, Suarez tells Ghana ahead of decisive clash

Flashback to July 3 2010, the entire African continent and indeed the world had its eyes trained on the imposing Soccer City Stadium in South Africa, the venue of the quarter-final match between Ghana’s Black Stars and Uruguay.

Ghana stood on the brink of history, aware that a win over Uruguay at the 94,000-seater facility would safeguard their place in the annals of history, as the first African team to attain the feat. Cameroon (1990) and Senegal in 2002 had been there before, reaching the quarterfinals at a World Cup showpiece but missing the last four, the semis.

As such, the Asamoah Gyan inspired Black Stars had held their own, qualifying from Group D that had amongst others Germany, Australia and Serbia. Ghana went ahead to qualify for the last 16 as group runners-up behind Germany and would go on to slay the United States of America 2-1 in a Round of 16 match.

With that win, hopes soared as they faced Uruguay which had a lot of stars in its rank- Luiz Suarez, Diego Milito, the evergreen defender Diego Godin, now captain, among others.

The Ghanaians, on the other hand, had a decent squad by all standards, but pretty much unknown on the global stage, but they made a name. As they say, events such as this birth  new stars, and this what South Africa 2010 did to Gyan and his fellow players.

However, unbeknownst to many, Ghana’s semis quest that night would end in terrible heartache. With the match tied 1-1 in extra time, Ghana were awarded a penalty, after Luis Suarez hand-balled on the goal line into extra time, preventing a possible winning goal from Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header.

Up stepped Gyan for a penalty award but his fierce strike came off the woodwork, much to the unbelieving eyes of millions. He was inconsolable, as the Uruguayans sent them crashing out, 4-2 in the subsequent penalty lotteries.

Suarez, sin-binned, celebrated widely.

Price to pay

But, it came with a price, earning hate from Africans and football purists.

Fast-forward, 12 years on, the two teams meet again at football’s grandest stage, at the World Cup Finals group stage game.

Like then, a lot is at stake.

Lumped together in Group H of the 2022 showpiece, they all face the grim danger of being knocked out if they fail to win tomorrow’s grudge match. Portugal (already qualified) on six points, lead the pool, as they take on South Korea who have a point from two games while Ghana, with three points from two matches know that a win against Uruguay who have a point from two matches is the only way to avenge the 2010 painful defeat.

Ghana can ill afford to put their hopes on Portugal to do them the favour of beating South Korea. Nada! They have to see off the job by beating Uruguay. That way they will have gotten revenge and what a better way than to serve it cold.

Aware of this, Ghanaian coach Otto Addo, a man who holds both German and Ghana citizenship, but whose English is heavily influenced by German, the country of his birth, told journalists here that his aim is to get the points but not dwell on the “small issue” of 2010, when Suarez’s handball act left them bleeding.

“For me (Suarez’s 2010 handball) is not a big topic…this is what I wish from every player, to do all he can to help his team qualify, to sacrifice for the team, even to get a red card. What happened was a very sad day for me, but this is my perspective,” he said, “If I see it from another perspective it is a normal thing and so for me it’s not a big topic,” he said at a presser where he was flanked by his midfield dynamo Thomas Partey.

Partey, on the other hand, now 29, and just 17 when the incident happened, was curt in his response, when the Suarez question was put to him, he said: “We just have to try to win and get what we want from the game. I think I was very young (when this happened), it was a game of football, anything can happen. We had the chance to score a penalty but we were unlucky, but we ‘re going to the game well-prepared and we know what to do, and we have to follow the plan of the coach.”

However, Suarez has no apology to offer. He told the Ghanaians to 'blame themselves' for the 20210 penalty miss, much more of a midgame ahead of the clash.

 “The Ghana player (Gyan) missed a penalty, not me, maybe I can apologise if I take a tackle, if I injure the player and take a red card, maybe, but in this situation, I take the red card, the referee say penalty, it’s not my fault because the player misses a penalty. In this situation it’s not my responsibility, they shoot the penalty,” he told journalists here in Doha.

All factors remain constant, it will be a game of chances and whoever wants it more will get the win, and Addo is aware as much. “They (Uruguay) have players with a lot of experience, very good strikers, even the wingers…lots of good players…there is Cavani, good defenders, the experience of Godin,” he said, “it’s going to be a very tough match, we have to challenge them especially physically and mentally.”