Mueez Ajao
– Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has refused to apologise for his handball against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup.
– Suarez was sent off in the last minute of extra time in the quarter-final for denying the Black Stars a goal with a deliberate handball on the goalline.
– Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty and Uruguay went through.
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– “The Ghana player missed the penalty, not me,” said Suarez before the teams meet in a decisive Group G match on Friday in this year’s World Cup finals.
– Ghana play Uruguay knowing a win would send them into the knockout stage – but a defeat would see the South American side progress if South Korea fail to beat Portugal.
– If Uruguay and South Korea both win, goal difference – and possibly goals scored – would decide their fate, with the Asian side holding a one-goal advantage.
– It is the first time the countries have met since the game 12 years ago, and former Liverpool striker Suarez was unrepentant despite being told by a Ghanaian journalist that some in the African country view him as “the devil himself”.
– “I don’t apologise for it,” he said. “I apologise if I injure a player but I took a red card for the handball.
– “It wasn’t my fault because I didn’t miss the penalty.”
– His actions in 2010 sparked outrage in Ghana, partly as a result of his exuberant celebrations on the touchline as Uruguay won on penalties. Suarez’s side were then beaten in the last four by the Netherlands.
– The current Ghana squad have however sought to play down talk of revenge against Suarez and Uruguay, with captain Andre Ayew – the only remaining player from the 2010 squad – saying he wants to move on.
– “Everyone felt bad [in 2010] but for me I just want to get to the next stage,” he said. “Revenge or not, we would go with the same determination and desire to win.
– “I am not looking back, I don’t want to focus on the past.”
🎙 "I didn't miss the penalty"
Luis Suarez responds to a reporter who asked him if he's ever considered apologising for his infamous handball in 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Ghana 👇 pic.twitter.com/pCGYJ96kPb
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 1, 2022
