Uruguay striker, Luis Suarez, has said he owes Ghanaians no apology after his involvement in the Black Stars’ quarter-final exit at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Suarez stopped a goal-bound opportunity from Ghana with his hand in the stoppage time of the extra time of the last-8 fixture twelve years ago at the Soccer City Stadium.
Ghana was awarded a penalty late in the game but former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the spot kick, with Ghana going on to lose the encounter on penalties.
That incident has stood in the memories of many Ghanaians for a long time, with some demanding an apology from the former Liverpool and Barcelona star.
However, Suarez has now opened up on the incident, insisting that he would not apologise because he did not force Gyan to miss the penalty.
“The first time, I don’t apologize about that,” Suarez told the media at a press conference ahead of Uruguay’s 2022 FIFA World Cup final group game against Ghana on Friday evening.
“I took the handball – but the Ghana player [Gyan] missed a penalty, not me. Maybe I apologize if I injure a player, but in this situation, I take a red card, the referee says penalty, it’s not my fault.”
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
