Uruguay are gearing up for their third and final FIFA World Cup group-stage fixture which will be an interesting showdown with Ghana, rehashing the memory of their infamous South Africa 2010 quarterfinal encounter.
Luis Suarez, who played in that fixture, was at the heart of that controversy as he blocked a goal-bound header with his hands in the final minute of extra time. The Barcelona icon was sent off and the Black Stars were awarded a penalty; however, Asamoah Gyan failed to convert from the spot and the African giants went on to crash out of the competition.
The two countries renew their rivalry on Friday and while a spot in the semifinals is not at stake, progression to the round of 16 could go to the winner of this Group H clash. Suarez faced the media ahead of this tie and the veteran striker was asked for his thoughts on that 2010 incident by a Ghanaian reporter.
The journalist stated that the striker is despised by the African nation and that the four-time AFCON champions look forward to eliminating the South Americans from Qatar 2022. And to no one's surprise, the 35-year-old was not remorseful.
The Nacional forward refused to apologize for his actions and while Ghana were denied an extra-time winner due to that, Suarez stated that he already paid for his crimes. The striker was sent off and missed La Celeste's semifinal clash with the Netherlands, which they lost, and thus argues that the blame lies with Gyan for missing that penalty.
"The first time, I don't apologize about that. I take the handball - but the Ghana player miss a penalty, not me.
"Maybe I apologize if I injure a player but in this situation, I take a red card, the ref say penalty, it's not my fault."
"I don't apologise about that... the Ghana player missed a penalty, not me."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 1, 2022
Luis Suárez feels no remorse for his handball in the 2010 World Cup game against Ghana pic.twitter.com/8ngqBdhC97
These comments probably won't go down well with the Ghaniains but Partey and Co. know that they cannot be distracted by previous grievances. The Black Stars are well situated to progress to the round of 16 and must solely focus on beating the two-time FIFA World Cup champions.
Otto Addo's side are currently second in the table with three points, trailing Portugal – who have already qualified – but are ahead of both Uruguay and South Korea. As a result, victory on Friday would seal their progression.
The aforementioned Asian giants face Cristiano and Co. on the final day, meaning a draw would suffice for Ghana as long as the Taegeuk Warriors don't beat the European giants in the other game.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
