Luis Suarez has and will always be one of the most polarising figures in professional sport.
Fans of the teams he represents back his actions to the hilt while opposing fans who have labelled him many things including – a cheat and a racist – always delight when misfortune befalls him.
A case in point, Ghanaian football fans who will never forgive the buck-tooth Uruguayan for denying Ghana a place in the 2019 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
With time running out in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup, a Suarez handball on the goal-line prevented Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah from scoring in the last minute and Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty – with Uruguay triumphing in the shoot-out to make the World Cup semis.
Ghanaians and Africans across the continent were riled even more when the Barcelona man celebrated wildly in the tunnel after he was sent off for the handball.
Without Suarez, the 10 men of Uruguay battled to penalties, and edged out the spot kicks, scoring four to Ghana’s two.
In a later interview with The Player’s Tribune, Suarez was unapologetic about his actions.
Suarez recounted: “Yes, the truth is, it was a bit of everything — 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, and … well, you get up within 30 seconds when he takes the penalty kick, the satisfaction of … of … well, I took 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 continued, “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. A teammate on the bench passed out on that play, hahaha.”
So, you can imagine the delight of Ghanaians on Saturday when Suarez missed the only penalty as Uruguay exited the Copa America at the quarterfinals via a penalty shootout against Peru.
Suarez had a goal disallowed for offside in normal time before missing the first penalty of the shootout, as Edison Flores struck the winning kick.
Suarez was left inconsolable and in a deluge of tears after his miss. He had a shirt over his head as he bawled his heart out surrounded by his teammates on the pitch after the shootout.
Try as they did, hi teammates including Martin Caceres and Diego Godin could not console the former Ajax man as he trudged off the pitch.
Karma
Karma? Yes, if most Ghanaians on Twitter are to be believed.
In one of the many tweets that has propelled the name Suarez to the top of the trending list of Ghana, one Twitter user wrote; “The whole of Ghana is enjoying Luis Suarez’s tears”.
“I haven’t forgotten Luis Suarez deliberate Handball against Ghana at the world cup of 2010. He enjoyed robbing and knocking Ghana out that Night. It’s a joy to watch him cry his ass Off ???????? Karma is Real,” another added.
As if to justify the Uruguayan’s polarising nature, his former Barcelona teammate Neymar has offered support to him in the aftermath of his heartache.
“Get up,” injured Brazil forward wrote on his Instagram story, alongside a video of Suarez crying.
“You are very great, brother. I love you, friend.”
Source: Graphic.com.gh
