Uruguay striker Luis Suarez refused to apologize for his famous shot in his country's match against Ghana, for the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when he tackled a ball that was on its way to the net in the last minute of extra time, to prevent Ghana from becoming the first African team. Reaching the World Cup semi-finals.
Ghana - who has 3 points - will meet Uruguay (one point) tomorrow, Friday, at the end of the first round matches of Group Eight of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in a confrontation that will be overshadowed by the famous shot that Suarez made more than 12 years ago, when he denied the national team Ghana managed to score a second goal in the final moments of the match, which ended in official and extra time 1-1, and was heading towards penalty kicks.
🇺🇾 @Uruguay v 🇬🇭 @ghanafaofficial, 2010 #WorldCup quarter-final
The very definition of late, late drama!
😲 pic.twitter.com/GrhcSSgAil
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 12, 2018
Suarez was sent off after that shot, and the referee awarded a penalty kick to Ghana, but Asamoah Gyan missed it, so the two teams passed to a penalty shootout that smiled at the azure team (4-2), who qualified for the semi-finals in a scenario that still constitutes one of the most famous shots in the history of the World Cup.
Suarez said in the press conference - which was held today, Thursday - before the match between Uruguay and Ghana, "I will not apologize for that shot, there is no reason for that, it was not me who missed the penalty kick. I admit that I took the ball out with my hands when it was heading for the goal, but Ghana got A penalty kick, and I didn't miss it."
He added, "I could have apologized if I had injured a player, or committed a violent shot, and in that incident I received a red card, the penalty kick was awarded against Uruguay, but it is not my fault if Ghana missed the penalty kick."
The Ghana and Uruguay teams will meet on Friday, starting at six in the evening, at Al Janoub Stadium, in the third and final round for Group H, and at the same time the Portuguese national team - which guaranteed its qualification for the final price - will meet with South Korea.
Uruguay tied at the opening of its participation in the 2022 World Cup without goals against South Korea, before losing 0-2 to Portugal in the second round, while Ghana lost to Portugal 2-3, and beat Korea 3-2.
The Ghanaian national team needs to win to ensure qualification and accompany Portugal to the second round, while Uruguay must win, and wait for the outcome of the match between Portugal and South Korea.