World Cup 2022: Ghana-Uruguay, remember the summer of 2010…
The distress of Ghanaians André Ayew (cap on his head) and Asamoah Gyan (on the left) in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, when Uruguay had qualified following a handball by striker Luis Suarez ( to the right).
© AFP - Editing RFI
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 mins
The teams of Ghana and Uruguay face each other for a place in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup, this December 2 in Al Rayyan, in the group H of the tournament.
A special meeting for the Ghanaians who had been deprived by the Uruguayans and Luis Suarez (1-1 after extra time, 4 shots on goal to 2) of a historic world semi-final for African football in 2010.
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From our Special Envoy in Doha,
“
I am not the devil!
Luis Suarez defends himself again, this December 1, 2022 in Doha.
Twelve years later.
In question, this Ghanaian shot that the Uruguayan striker had repelled with his hands, on his line.
A gesture that deprived the Black Stars of the goal of 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals of the South African World Cup and which traumatized millions of football fans in Africa.
To (re) read ► Ghana eliminated, end of the African dream
Even today, the former defender Samuel Inkoom, who held this July 2, 2010 in Johannesburg, thinks about this action.
"
It's something that, every time I watch this match, makes me think of the fact that we could have been in the semi-finals if it had been a player other than Suarez
", he says.
“It was not me who missed the penalty”
Suarez, now 35, hasn't forgotten that moment either, which propelled his team to the semi-finals of the competition.
“
At the time, I did not apologize for having stopped the ball with my hand because the players of Ghana missed a penalty
, retorts the player, on the eve of reunion with the Ghanaian selection, in the first round of the
World 2022
.
It wasn't me who missed it.
I could have apologized if I had tackled and injured a player.
But in this situation, I received a red card and there was a penalty.
It's not my fault what happened next
."
Asamoah Gyan had indeed sent the ball over the crossbar and then his team lost 4-2 to the South Americans in the penalty shootout.
“
After this match, it was inevitably a little difficult for us even if in the end we lived this episode normally
, explains Inkoom.
We had reached a point where we carried all the hopes of the continent on our shoulders.
We had to pull Africa up.
In
the locker room, everyone was sad.
"I don't blame Luis Suarez that much"
In fact, Ghana was very close to being the first African team to play in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
But fate, and the hands of the former resident of Liverpool (England) and Atletico de Madrid (Spain), decided otherwise.
"
I don't blame Luis Suarez that much because it's football
," adds Inkoom.
He was also defending his country.
It's part of the game
."
No question, moreover, for the Ghanaian players present in Qatar to let themselves be caught up by the demons of the past.
“
We have to focus on our strategy
, warns midfielder Thomas Partey, who was 17 at the time.
What happened in 2010 will forever be etched in our memories.
But it's a totally different game now with totally different players
.
Of this odyssey completed in distress and tears, only the current captain of the Black Stars, André Ayew, remains.
“
We know that all Ghanaians around the world are thinking about 2010. But it doesn't matter.
What matters is passing.
And for that, Ghana will need at least one draw…
To (re) read ► 2022 World Cup: match schedule and results
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