The first FIFA World Cup to be held on African soil took place in South Africa, where the piercing buzz of vuvuzelas and the vibrant, distinctive celebrations of African supporters created an unforgettable spectacle.
By the quarterfinals, Ghana remained the continent’s sole surviving hope. On July 2, 2010, at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, the match between Ghana and Uruguay became a stage set for history.
The Black Stars stood on the brink of becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal. The weight of nearly a century of continental expectation rested heavily on the shoulders of Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng. The stands were not only filled with Ghanaian flags but were awash with the colours of an entire continent. It was, quite literally, a continental dream undergoing its ultimate test.
However, the match is remembered less for the history it might have created and more for its extraordinary drama -- centred on Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.
On the stroke of half-time, Muntari gave Ghana the lead with a powerful strike from around 35 yards. The much-criticised Jabulani ball swerved unpredictably, deceiving Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. After the break, Uruguay pressed hard for an equaliser. Ten minutes into the second half, Diego Forlan levelled the score with a trademark free-kick, the ball swerving sharply in the air and completely wrong-footing Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson.
With no further goals in the 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. Ghana appeared the more dominant side and seemed destined to make history.
Then came one of the most dramatic passages in World Cup history. With the match in its 120th minute, Ghana won a free-kick on the right -- the final attack of the game. What followed was a breathtaking sequence of events. John Paintsil’s delivery was met by Boateng’s header, which Muslera failed to clear properly. The loose ball fell to Stephen Appiah, whose powerful shot was blocked on the line by Suarez using his knee. The rebound floated up, and Dominic Adiyiah headed towards goal. Uruguay’s Diego Fucile attempted to intervene but could not stop it. Behind him, Suarez remained on the line, and just as the ball was about to cross into the net, he leapt and deliberately punched it away with both hands, like a goalkeeper.
Within moments, the linesman’s flag was raised and the referee blew his whistle. Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca approached the scene and produced a red card. The decision was clear -- handball and a penalty. Suarez was sent off immediately. Although he tried to delay his exit, a FIFA official escorted him from the pitch.
The drama did not end there. As Suarez walked down the tunnel, footage showed him with his shirt pulled over his face, watching anxiously. Moments later, Gyan stepped up to take the penalty -- but his shot struck the crossbar and flew over. Suarez, seeing this, erupted in wild celebration.
That miss was more than just a squandered opportunity -- it shattered Ghana mentally. Carrying the weight of that moment into the penalty shoot-out, they could not hold their nerve. Uruguay, by contrast, remained composed, and Sebastian Abreu sealed their victory with an audacious Panenka, sending his side into the semifinals. Johannesburg fell silent. A continent’s dream lay in pieces.
Suarez showed no remorse for his actions. Drawing comparisons with Diego Maradona’s infamous 1986 “Hand of God”, he said, “Now the real Hand of God is mine. I made the save of the tournament. Sometimes I play as a goalkeeper in training, so my effort paid off. I had no other option. When they missed the penalty, I felt it was a miracle and that we were still alive in the tournament.”
In Ghana and across Africa, Suarez became a villain -- someone who had robbed a continent of its rightful place in history. In Uruguay, however, he was hailed as a national hero, a player who sacrificed himself for his team, accepting a red card and suspension to keep his nation’s dream alive.
Forlan also praised him, saying, “It’s unfortunate we won’t have him in the semifinal, but he made a brilliant save. He didn’t score, but he prevented a goal. He got sent off, but he saved the match for us.”
The incident divided the football world. From a moral standpoint, questions arose -- was it cheating, or the ultimate act of professionalism? Suarez argued that he broke the rules, was punished with a red card, and Ghana were awarded a penalty. Since Ghana failed to score, he insisted their elimination was ultimately their own responsibility.
At just 23 years old and playing for Ajax at the time, this was Suarez’s first major global controversy. It was followed by further incidents -- biting PSV’s Otman Bakkal in 2010, Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, and Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. He was also banned in 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
Yet the anger in Ghana has never fully faded. When the two teams met again at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a Ghanaian journalist referred to Suárez as “El Diablo” -- the devil -- and claimed that was how he was known in Ghana. When asked to apologise, Suarez refused, stating clearly: “I will not apologise. Yes, I handled the ball, but the Ghana player missed the penalty, not me. I would apologise if I had injured someone with a bad tackle, but in this case I was punished and they had their chance.”
Uruguay won that match 2-0, but despite the victory, they were eliminated on goal difference after South Korea’s late win over Portugal. Suarez was seen in tears at the final whistle -- an image some in Ghana may have viewed as a form of long-awaited justice.
After a 17-year international career, scoring 69 goals in 142 matches, Suarez retired in late 2024. While his career is filled with trophies, goals, and remarkable achievements, across Africa he remains a deeply controversial figure.
A split-second decision, a desperate leap, and the use of two hands -- these ensured Suarez’s place in football history as both a revered saviour and a reviled villain.
