Uruguayan star Luis Suárez has refused to apologize for his handball incident at the 2010 World Cup. The striker brazenly blocked a ball destined for goal with his arms late in a quarterfinal match against Ghana. Suárez was sent off for the deliberate incident of the hand.
However, Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty kick that would have sent Ghana through to the semi-finals. The 2010 game eventually went to penalty kicks, in which Uruguay bested the African team, 4-2.
The two nations will meet again at the World Cup on Friday. Before the game, a Ghanaian journalist told Suárez that people inside the African country refer to the striker as the devil and are looking forward to his retirement from football. However, Suárez refused to apologize for the incident that occurred a dozen years ago.
“I don’t apologize for that, I made the hand, but the Ghanaian player missed the penalty, not me,” Suárez said at the press conference. “I could apologize if I hurt a player with a tackle and got a red card, but in this situation I get a red card and the referee calls a penalty.”
“It’s not my fault, I didn’t miss the penalty,” the striker continued. “The player who missed the penalty said he would do the same [as I did] in that situation. It is not my responsibility in this situation.”
Luis Suárez dismisses Ghanaian rematch for handball
Suárez also appeared to be confused about the revenge talks for the Ghanaian team. “I don’t know what people say about revenge,” Suárez added. “The players who will play tomorrow may have been, what eight years then [in 2010]?”
Uruguay needs to beat Ghana on Friday to have any chance of advancing to the knockout round. The South Americans are currently bottom of Group H with just one point. Ghana, meanwhile, could qualify for the next phase with a draw. This, however, depends on how South Korea fare against Portugal. A Ghanaian victory would surely book their tickets to the knockout round.
PHOTO: IMAGO / HochZwei/Sportida
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