One of the most infamous moments in 2010 World Cup history was when Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez deliberately stopped a sure shot by Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah by using his hands in a quarter-final match. At that moment the score was 1-1 and if that ball had gone into the net, Ghana would have qualified for the next round. Suarez was shown a red card and Ghana were awarded a penalty as pandemonium ensued. Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan stepped forward to take the penalty and missed in a cruel twist of fate as the camera panned to Suarez, who was wildly celebrated with his teammates. Ghana finally succumbed to Uruguay in a penalty shootout and was eliminated from the World Cup.
Now, after 12 years, the two familiar foes will meet again when Uruguay meet Ghana in the final match of the 2022 World Cup group stage, with a place in the last 16 at stake.
In a pre-match press conference, Suarez was representing Uruguay when a Ghanaian journalist told him that he is considered “the devil himself” by many people in Ghana, to which Suarez said he refused to apologize for that 2010 incident.
‘I’m not apologizing. The Ghanaian player missed a penalty kick. Not me. I was sent away. If I injured a player, I apologise. Gyan said he would do the same,” he said.
🗣 “I don’t apologize for that… the Ghanaian player missed a penalty, not me.”
Luis Suárez does not regret his handball in the 2010 World Cup match against Ghana pic.twitter.com/8ngqBdhC97
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 1, 2022
Suarez started Uruguay’s 0–0 draw with South Korea in Qatar, but was left on the bench for the 2–0 loss to Portugal that left Uruguay bottom of the group. Uruguay must now beat Ghana and hope that South Korea does not beat Portugal. extends his stay at the World Cup and Suarez’s international career by at least one game. Goal difference will decide whether Uruguay and South Korea both win.
Suarez stirred things up a bit, saying the 2010 game against Ghana still means something. “We are going to put our life and soul into this match. Ghana is a good team, but we know them, we have beaten them before and we know how to beat them again.