Uruguay striker, Luis Suarez, has insisted he will not apologize for the handball incident which denied Ghana a spot in the 2010 World Cup semifinals.
Suarez was responding after being told he is regarded as a “devil” in the African nation ahead of Friday’s rematch with Uruguay at Qatar 2022.
The 35-year-old was sent off for keeping out Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound header with his hands in the final minute of extra-time in the 2010 quarterfinal in Soccer City, South Africa.
Although Ghana were awarded a penalty to win the game, which was tied at 1-1, Asamoah Gyan missed his spot-kick and Uruguay went on to book a semifinal against the Netherlands by winning 4-2 on penalties.
The incident was one of the most controversial in World Cup history and denied Ghana the chance to become the first African nation to reach the semifinals in the competition.
Ghana vs Uruguay again
The two countries meet again at Al Janoub on Friday, with Uruguay needing to win to have any hope of qualification at Ghana’s expense from Group H.
But after being told by a Ghanaian journalist that he is “regarded as diablo — the devil — in Ghana and we want to retire you tomorrow,” Suarez said he is not to blame for Ghana failing to win the 2010 game.
“I don’t apologise about that, I did the handball, but the Ghana player missed the penalty, not me,” Suarez said at a news conference in Doha. “I could apologise if I injured a player with a tackle and got a red card, but in this situation I take a red card and the referee says penalty.
“It’s not my fault, I didn’t miss the penalty. The player who missed the penalty said he would do the same [as I did] in that situation. It’s not my responsibility in this situation.”
