Sports

Ghana Vs Uruguay: Is Suarez A Hero Or Villain?

Published

15 years ago

July 4, 2010

I am struggling to remember a more dramatic end to a World Cup match than Friday’s classic quarter-final tie between Uruguay and Ghana at Soccer City.

Luis Suarez’s goal-line handball from Dominic Adiyiah in the dying seconds of extra-time saved a certain goal but resulted in a red card for the Ajax striker and a penalty that was, literally, the last kick of the game before the shoot-out.

Asamoah Gyan, scorer of two spot-kicks already in South Africa, stood just one strike of the football from taking an African team to the last four of the World Cup for the first time.

He had an entire continent behind him, willing him to score, but heartbreakingly for the 24-year-old, his strike skimmed the crossbar and flew into the stand behind the goal.

Moments after his miss the camera cut to Suarez, who had left the field in a state of despondency but was now overcome by sheer, unadulterated fist-pumping joy.

His gamble had paid off in spectacular style.

Minutes later Gyan showed remarkable guts and resilience to score the first Ghanaian penalty of the shoot-out but Fernando Muslera subsequently saved from John Mensah and Adiyiah.

Sebastian Abreu then delivered a stunning coup de grace with an ice-cool looping penalty kick that took an age to reach the net. Stranded Black Stars goalkeeper Richard Kingson could only look on having already dived to his right.

Abreu, a journeyman of 17 clubs in seven countries, was mobbed by his jubilant team-mates but it was Suarez who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Suarez explained afterwards that he knew he could not stop Adiyiah’s effort with his head and so used his hand. The huge grin on his face as he spoke to reporters indicated in the clearest terms possible that he had no regrets about what he had done.

But was it clear-cut, blatant out-right cheating or professionalism that ought to be applauded?

I heard several angry people describe it afterwards as the sort of despicable behaviour that needed to be stamped out.

“The referee should have awarded a goal,” said understandably disappointed Ghana defender John Pantsil, although I personally don’t see how Olegario Benquerenca could have given anything other than a penalty if the ball did not cross the line.

Panstil added: “There is no chance that any of us Ghana players would have used our hand to stop the ball – no way.”

It is difficult not to have some sympathy for Pantsil and his team-mates. They had been the better side during extra-time and could not have come any closer to a dramatic winner.

The vast majority of the 84,017 inside Soccer City were behind them, while Milovan Rajevac’s team had the support of the African continent in general.

“Go BaGhana” said Friday’s headline in The Citizen newspaper, a neat play on Bafana Bafana, while The Times suggested “We Ghana win it”.

At one point on Friday I even heard a chant of “Ghana, Ghana, Ghana” momentarily drown out the sound of the vuvuzela.

Ultimately Ghana’s exploits in South Africa have ensured a measure of respectability for the continent after a disappointing group stage that saw the other five African teams fail to qualify.

They have a young side, with seven of the starting XI in Johannesburg 25 or under, and should have a bright future. Despite his agonising Friday, Gyan is a striker of real quality, while young holding midfielder Anthony Annan looks to be a player of immense promise.

The Black Stars became only the third African side after Cameroon and Senegal to reach the last eight and came within a whisker of a place in the last four – and did so without Michael Essien, their best player.

Uruguay were not so much trying to break new ground, as emulate past glories and the victory for Oscar Tabarez’s team gave them their first semi-final place since 1970

The manner of La Celeste’s progression might disgust some but that should not detract from their overall form in South Africa.

They have just conceded two goals in five games and for a country with a population of 3.5 million, reaching this stage of the competition is a stunning achievement.

I saw their opening game against France and must admit I wondered how they were going to enrich this tournament. They played three in the centre of defence, packed the midfield and lacked ambition.

I had underestimated them.

They had got the point they wanted against the group favourites and played a more expansive game against South Africa, winning 3-0, and have also gone on to defeat Mexico and South Korea.

Suarez and Forlan, who equalised against Ghana with a free-kick, have scored six goals at the World Cup.

They have perhaps been the most formidable strike partnership in the tournament and the absence of Ajax striker Suarez will be a major blow when they take on the Netherlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.

“It is a pity, he made a great save today,” said a clearly delighted Forlan, who rated Friday as the greatest night of his career.

“Suarez is one of the heroes. He didn’t score a goal but he saved one and now we are in the semi-final.”

How Suarez’s actions are interpreted is a matter of culture as well as perspective.

What might be regarded in Europe or Africa as cheating is seen as cunning or exploitation of the rules in other parts of the world.

It could be seen as a moral question or an issue of sportsmanship but, despite what Pantsil said, does anybody really think that professional players all over the world would not have done the same thing?

Suarez did what was required to keep his team in the contest – and there is no doubt that if Suarez had not handled the ball his team would now be reflecting on a defeat, not the high-point in Uruguayan football for 40 years.

“I thought we were out,” said Forlan of the moment when Gyan prepared to take his penalty.

“I was convinced we were going home. When I saw the ball go into the stand it was unbelievable – Suarez saved us.”

Sports

Forest Embarrass Liverpool At Anfield

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.

Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.

Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.

Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 39 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.

Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.

It means Liverpool, who lie 11th before Saturday’s late fixture, have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.

Forest, meanwhile, are surging away from the relegation zone and are up to 16th.

Sports

Bundesliga: Oliseh Stars As Bayern Rebound To Thrash Freiburg

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Michael Olise scored twice and provided a hat-trick of assists as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from two goals down to thrash Freiburg.

The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.

Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.

Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.

Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for the first time.

England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.

Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.

A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.

Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.

AS FAR Morocco Win African Women’s Champions League (8)

AS FAR held firm to beat debutants ASEC Mimosas 2-1 in the African Women’s Champions League final and become continental champions for the second time.

Hanane Ait El Haj put the Moroccan club ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Safa Banouk had been tripped by Aboa Yapo.

ASEC Mimosas rallied after the break and Ami Priscal Diallo netted a fine header from Sopie Brou’s cross to drag the Ivory Coast club level 10 minutes into the second half.

But AS FAR were handed a second spot-kick in the closing stages when Noura Diarra committed a rash challenge on Sofia Bouftini.

This time it was Zineb Redouani who stepped up to stroke home in the 85th minute and restore her side’s lead.

Asastasie Gbehi came close to forcing extra time but she poked wide of the post in stoppage time, and the centre-back was sent off after the full-time whistle for dissent.

AS FAR move level with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as two-time winners of the title, having first lifted the trophy in 2022.

The Rabat-based side will now take on Chinese’s Wuhan Jiangda on 14 December for a place at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.

The winner of that match will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals of the inaugural competition early next year in London.

Sports

Barca Impress On Return To Camp Nou

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga on Saturday with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at the Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023.

Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute.

Ferran Torres then netted twice in the second half, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance.

Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later.

Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd.

The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.

Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goal difference, but Real Madrid had the chance to replace them, if they won at Elche in their game in hand, late last night.

Poland striker Lewandowski got his side off to the perfect start when he drove his low shot in off the arm of Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon for an eighth league goal of the season.

The home side extended their lead in first-half added time as Yamal’s superb pass off the outside of his foot set up Torres for a good finish.

Lopez made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, drilling a shot past Simon from near the penalty spot.

Sancet’s tackle from behind on Lopez was initially deemed a yellow card, but upgraded to red after the referee consulted with the video assistant referee (VAR).

And just before full-time, Yamal twisted and turned before sending Torres away to claim his second goal, which was originally disallowed for offside but overturned following a VAR check.

It was a dream return to their ground, with the reigning Spanish champions having mostly played at the 55,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill since renovations on the Nou Camp began in June 2023.

They were forced to play two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, this season after failing to get a permit for the Nou Camp through safety reasons.

Pogba Returns To Action In Ligue 1 (6)

Paul Pogba played his first minutes of professional football in more than two years as he came off the bench during Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at the weekend.

The 32-year-old was introduced in the 85th minute at Rennes’ Roazhon Park, though his side were already four goals and a player down, following a red card for captain Denis Zakaria.

French World Cup winner Pogba broke down in tears when he joined Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Pogba’s last competitive appearance was 811 days ago, when he featured for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on 3 September 2023. He left Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.

Pogba was provisionally banned from football for four years after a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test in August 2023.

Pogba maintained it was a mistake and that he was given a supplement without knowing it contained a banned substance.

The former Manchester United midfielder was permitted to return to football in March following the decision to reduce his ban.

Pogba watched from the bench as goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas put Rennes out of sight.

Fellow substitute Mika Biereth pulled a goal back for Monaco in the 95th minute, but a second consecutive 4-1 defeat means Sebastien Pocognoli’s side drop to eighth in the table with 20 points after 13 games.