No time for tears: Suarez (top) joined in the
celebrations after the shootout despite moments earlier being
inconsolable as he left the pitch
Africa’s
horns fell silent on Friday night as
Ghana were cruelly robbed of a place in
the semi-finals by
Uruguay.
The South Americans clinched a date
with Holland in Cape Town on Tuesday thanks to a penalty, coolly
chipped in by substitute Sebastian Abreu, but that does not nearly
tell the whole story.
Ghana were denied a winner in the
last seconds of extra time when striker Luis Suarez blocked Dominic
Adiyiah’s header on the line with his hands. Suarez was sent off,
leaving Asamoah Gyan with the chance to score from the spot and
make the Black Stars the first African nation to reach the last
four of a World Cup.
Agony: Asamoah Gyan reacts after missing his
penalty
Gyan hit the bar and so
became Ghana’s
John Terry. With one kick he could have made history. He missed.
Suarez celebrated on his way down the tunnel and Gyan later said:
‘He’ll probably be a hero now.
Gyan picked himself up to score
his team’s first spot-kick in the shoot-out but Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
saved twice, once from Ghana captain John Mensah and once
skilfully from the luckless Adiyiah.
Albeit momentarily, vuvuzelas
were laid to rest. Mouths everywhere fell open, a brilliant,
pulsating and emotional 120 minutes had ended in
heartbreak.
Leaving a nasty taste in the mouth: Luis Suarez (right)
blocks Dominic Adiyiah's goalbound shot
‘This is a sporting injustice
but I congratulate Uruguay,’
said Ghana
manager
Milovan Rajevac. ‘I am very proud. We achieved a great result and
we did not deserve to lose.’
Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez objected to
suggestions his team had won unfairly.
‘There is a red card and he is
thrown out,’ he said. ‘Saying that we cheated is too harsh. We have
to go by the rules. It might have been a mistake by my player but I
do not like the word cheating.’
South Africa
had been solidly
behind this fun-loving Ghana team — Nelson Mandela even sent
them a pre-match letter of support — but they seemed to freeze
under the pressure.
Diego Forlan and Suarez spread
panic, as did Richard Kingson’s astonishing mix of acrobatic saves
and schoolboy errors in Ghana’s goal.
Uruguay lost captain Diego Lugano to
injury before half-time. They were rattled, losing their
discipline, and Sulley Muntari took advantage in the second minute
of first-half stoppage-time.
Egidio Arevalo allowed Muntari
to retrieve the ball, turn it on to his left foot and take aim from
40 yards. Muslera’s anticipation was poor and, though the shot
swerved, it was more than a yard inside the post. No challenge and
lazy goalkeeping.
Long distance: Sulley Muntari lets fly
Muntari started on Friday night
because Andre Ayew was suspended and his goal inspired hope until
Forlan levelled with a stunning free-kick, the Jabulani ball
confusing Kingson with a familiar wobble on its way into the top
corner.
The game galloped frantically
on. Ghana’s free-form patterns and the
instinct of Suarez and Forlan made for wonderful
entertainment.
Suarez lashed a volley into the
side-netting and Muntari dragged a chance wide as Kevin-Prince
Boateng tumbled in search of a penalty.
Blue order: Diego Forlan (unsighted) equalised with
a stunning free kick
It was the last minute of extra
time when Boateng flicked on John Pantsil’s free-kick and Muslera
came out to block Mensah’s header. The rebound fell to Stephen
Appiah, who hooked it towards goal but Suarez stuck out a leg and
sent it up in the air.
Adiyiah met it with a strong
header. Suarez again cleared it off the line but this time with his
hands. Off he went and up stepped Gyan to miss. He was inconsolable
after the shootout.
A sad end to an amazing
adventure.
