- Ghana and Uruguay face off in their last Group H match
- Suarez handled the ball at the line during their last meeting at the 2010 World Cup
- Suarez says he is not sorry for what he did
Ghana and Luis Suarez re-unite for the first time since the striker’s infamous handball at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, denying the Black Stars what would have been a last minute goal.
The striker was sent off and Ghana given a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan blazed the effort over, blowing their chance of earning a historic place in the semi-final. The game went to penalties and t the end, it was the Uruguayans who progressed, Suarez being a hero for his side and a ‘demon’ for Africa.
Speaking ahead of their final Group H match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha on Friday evening, Suarez says he is not apologetic at all.
“I don’t say I apologise about that because I take the handball but the Ghana player missed the penalty, not me. Maybe I can say I apologise if I tackle and injure a player and take a red card, maybe I can apologise,” Suarez said in the pre-match press conference.
He added; “But in this situation I take a red card, the referee said ‘penalty’. It’s not my fault because I did not miss the penalty, the player missed the penalty.”
Doesn’t live in the past
Suarez further said that he doesn’t live in the past and the memories of that match 12 years ago will not have any effect as he prepares to face the West Africans again in Doha on Friday.
Ghana coach Otto Addo also said Suarez should not be blamed for that, noting that he did what any player would do for the love of his country.
“It’s about perspective. If the same incident with Suarez happened the other way round and Ghana reached the semis, Ghanaians would have said it was normal. For me, it’s not a topic. I wish every player to do all he can to help his team qualify and sometimes sacrifice even himself for a red card,” said the coach.
Ghana celebrates win
The two sides clash in a must win tie for all of them. Ghana sit second in the group with three points after their win over South Korea and must win to confirm their place in the last 16. Uruguay are bottom with a point and have to win, hoping Portugal beat the Koreans in the other match for them to progress.
Addo confident of his players
Ghanaian coach Addo says he is confident his players can do the work against the South Americans and has urged them to pick on from the spirit they showed in their last win.
Midfielder Thomas Partey is also looking forward for a good performance and a win for Ghana.
“We want to show we are capable of anything and this is a different game and we need to stick to our plan,” Partey said at the pre-match press conference.
Ghana’s best ever performance at the World Cup was the quarter final they reached in 2010 when South Africa hosted the competition. Previously, they have gone beyond the group stage only once, reaching the round of 16 in Germany 2006.
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