Ghana fans hope Soares will 'cry' in revenge match

When Ghana faces Uruguay tomorrow in a decisive match to qualify for Group H in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, one name will be on the minds of many from the West African country: Luis Soares.

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa witnessed an incident that contributed to depriving Ghana of becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals in the history of the finals, due to a deliberate touch by Soares, who blocked a shot from the goal line in the final seconds that prevented his country from winning 2-1.

Soares was sent off from the match and the referee awarded a penalty kick to Ghana two minutes before the end of extra time.

Asamoah Gyan stepped forward to take the kick and it looked like it was over, but he hit the crossbar, and Soares ran off the field, wildly celebrating his way to the dressing rooms.

The two teams then headed to a penalty shootout, which smiled at Uruguay, despite Gyan scoring his shot this time.

At that time, Sebastian Abreu's "Panenka" kick was decisive, crossing the "Celeste" team 4-2, after the match had ended in a 1-1 draw with the goal of Sulley Muntari for Ghana (45 + 2) and Diego Forlan for Uruguay (55).

Accordingly, Uruguay, the 1930 and 1950 champions, reached the semi-finals at that time for the first time since 1970. A dark day that remained stuck in the memory of many Ghanaian football fans.

None of the Ghanaian players from that era are in the ranks of the current national team except the current captain Andre Ayew, while the Uruguayan side remains goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and the offensive line duo Edinson Cavani and Soares in particular.

"We were waiting for the celebration, but we cried in the streets," said Samuel Quest, 36, as he was buying a Ghana national team shirt in the capital, Accra, in preparation for Friday's match.

"I hated that day," Quest said bitterly.

This time the confrontation will also be decisive, as Ghana's victory will put it in the round of 16 and bring Uruguay home early, but a draw may be enough for Ghana as well.

And Io tried to downplay the talk of revenge.

"Everyone felt bad (in 2010), but for me I just want to go to the next round," he told reporters in Qatar.

He continued, "Revenge or not, we will go with the same determination and desire to win because we want to reach the next stage."

"I don't look back, I don't want to focus on the past," added the 32-year-old striker.

But trying to say that to the Ghanaian fans can't seem to let that match forget, namely what Soares did, the feisty 35-year-old striker who was banned from playing football in the past for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a World Cup match also in 2018. 2014. "Luis Soares, Luis Soares, we all remember, so it's revenge," Philip Chichi, 32, said in front of a shop selling Ghana shirts.

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