Suarez’s handball against Ghana is my regret so far – GFA Boss
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi has said that his regret in life so far was when Uruguay striker Luis Suarez decided to turn himself from a striker to a goalkeeper by denying Ghana a goal during the quarter-final match between Ghana and Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“I think that moment when Suarez decided to transform himself from being a striker to a goalkeeper”, Mr Nyantakyi said in an interview with The Mirror newspaper published Saturday February 5, 2011.
According to the Mirror, the FA Boss said “I wish that moment would be erased from the history books, but that is football” adding “It was so painful.”
During the quarter-final match between Ghana and Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which went into extra time, Luis Suarez blocked with the hand a header from Ghana striker Dominic Adiyiah which has already beaten the Uruguayan goalkeeper and was going into the net. The act denied Ghana a goal and a historic semi-final appearance at the World Cup. Suarez was shown the red card and a penalty was awarded to Ghana.
Unfortunately, Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty sending the game into penalties which Uruguay won by 4-2 against Ghana and Ghanaians have never forgiven Luis Suarez.
There was a recent media report that cited current Black Stars captain, John Mensah as saying that if he meets Suarez in a football match, he will “kick him”.
But now that Suarez has signed a £23.8 million deal from Ajax Amsterdam to Liverpool FC in England, then he would be meeting some Ghanaian players who played in the Uruguay-Ghana match such as Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, John Painstil and John Mensah.
By Ekow Quandzie
What Suarez did on that game is like any foul or handball or off side that happens several times on each game. He used his hands to stop the ball and he was properly punished for it, and Ghana had its reward, a penalty kick. Everything happened within the rules of the game.
I think Ghana should blame the player that took the penalty kick instead of Suarez. But yes, we are humans, it’s easier to blame someone else than ourselves.
Enough already Ghana. Dominic Adiyiah took an obvious dive to gain the free kick that lead to the Suarez incident. How fitting that Suarez denied his header, AND Muslera dined his fourth penalty that led to Uruguay’s victory. Signed KARMA.
This article is a disgrace. “Unfortunately missed?” . Please, anyone would have done what Luis did.
Most of the world has moved on, especially after realizing that one of the world’s most important footballing nations (famous for their never say die attitude despite their tiny size) made it to a record 5th(!) semi final.
This is from a Canadian.
Ghana? Never heard of them, and we’ll never see them again. Good riddance to the whiners.
Hahahaha. Mensah will destroy Suarez? The Kop will have something tto say about that…
“Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi has said that his regret in life so far was when Uruguay striker Luis Suarez decided to turn himself from a striker to a goalkeeper”
I don’t understand how Mr.Nyantakyi can REGRET something he didn’t do or thought!!
Instead, I would suggest him to REGRET the inability of the Ghana’s team to score from the penalty area.