Luis Suarez Defends Decision To Block Ghana’s Chances Of Reaching 2010 WC Semis

A late penalty miss from Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan denied the African giants a semi-final place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the Black Stars lost 4-2 on penalties to Uruguay, a defeat which forever remains sour in the hearts of many football lovers in Africa.

The former Africa Champions were just a kick away to make history as the first African country to make it to the last four of the FIFA World Cup.

However, it took the hand of Uruguay striker Luis Suarez to deny Ghana a place in the semi-finals after the Barcelona attacker blocked Dominic Adiyiah’s header on the line with his hand, an action which eventually resulted into a penalty in favour of Ghana.

Gyan, who was the lead scorer for the Africans in the competition with three goals fluffed the opportunity after his kick came off the crossbar to send the game into penalty shootouts after a 1-1 score in regulation time.

The save by Suarez who was red-carded did Uruguay a lot of good as they went on to win the penalty shootouts.

The former Liverpool goal poacher believes he did enough by blocking Adiyiah’s ball on the line with his hands to help his side progress in the competition.

“The truth is, it was a bit of everything,” Suarez told The Players’ Tribune.

“Of being depressed, of being sad, of being sent off. Because we were going to lose, but if they weren’t scoring that goal we weren’t going to lose [so I was right to block it].

“You get up within 30 seconds when he takes the penalty kick, the satisfaction of taking a risk in a situation of which I have been blamed for anti-fair play. However, the Ghana player missing the penalty is not my fault,” he said.

He added: “I didn’t kick anyone or anything like that, that’s why I think that I celebrated like that, for having taken a risk for something that was worth it.

“And I remember that I celebrated it more than a goal. I left screaming and went to the locker room to watch the penalty kicks (in the shootout). And, the truth is, it was painful watching the penalty kicks in the locker room.”

“It’s easy to talk now, but yeah, if we would have played the semi-final against Holland with Diego Lugano, who in that moment was spectacular, Jorge Fucile, I believe, the best-left wing-back of the World Cup, and me, who had been suspended.

“If the three of us would have played, it would have been different,” he added

Ghana, Cameroon and Senegal are the only African sides to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

WATCH Suarez’s handy save for Uruguay