Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has insisted he will not apologise for his handball in the 2010 quarter-final against Ghana.
The 35-year-old appeared at the pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s clash with the Black Stars on Friday – their first meeting since his famous handball on the line in the 120th minute of extra-time to deny Ghana a 2-1 winner.
Asamoah, despite being Africa’s record goalscorer in World Cup history, stepped up from the penalty spot but missed the subsequent spot-kick, with Uruguay winning the match on penalties to break Ghanaian hearts.
The Black Stars would’ve become the first ever – and to date only – African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup and many in Ghana still hate Suarez for his antics.
#AD: Choose any unlimited 4G or 5G plan. Only start paying next month.
On Thursday, a Ghanaian journalist put it to Suarez that he is seen as the “devil himself” but the Uruguay striker insisted it was not his fault Gyan missed the penalty.
“I don’t apologise about that, I did the handball, but the Ghana player [Gyan] missed the penalty, not me,” Suarez as quoted by ESPN.
“I could apologise if I injured a player with a tackle and got a red card, but in this situation I take a red card and the referee says penalty.
“It’s not my fault, I didn’t miss the penalty. The player who missed the penalty said he would do the same [as I did] in that situation. It’s not my responsibility in this situation.”
On Friday, Uruguay need to beat Ghana in order to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages, while the Black Stars would likely qualify with a draw, unless South Korea will beat Brazil in Group H.
