World Cup: When action on the pitch says it all!
Twelve years is a long time, and if the saying that time and space heals all pains and wounds is anything to go by, then you would expect that the injury inflicted on Cameroon by Uruguay and Luis Suarez would have faded away.
Twelve years ago, at the 2010 World Cup the first to be hosted by Africa in South Africa, Uruguay and Ghana met in the Quarterfinals. On that occasion Luis Suarez committed a handball in the box to save a goal that would have given Ghana the lead in the final minute of extra time. Instead, Ghana missed the ensuing penalty kick and Uruguay went on to win 4-2 on penalty after the match had ended 1-1 at extra time.
Ghanaians never took that incident lightly and believed that the Saurez handball episode prevented the Black Stars from progressing to the semifinals of the 2010 world Cup.
Thus any other meeting with Uruguay and Saurez is regarded a grudge one that should call for revenge.
December 2nd 2022 in Qatar presented another opportunity for the two nations to settle scores. This time it was in final group stage with both nations struggling to gain a slot in the knockout stage or round of 16.
You needed to have seen the face of Black Stars Captain Andre Ayew as he offered Luis Saurez who again led Uruguay the compulsory handshake before kickoff.
Suarez had maintained he has no apology for the act and re-echoed it when asked about it in Qatar. But really the game of football may not need much talk should it? If you seek revenge the best thing would be to play better than your opponent, outpace him if possible and cease every opportunity that comes your way.
It is not about making faces, expressing anger and gnashing of teeth.
On a day that looked like luck, like the pendulum was swinging on the part of Ghana they earned early penalty in the grudge match in Qatar but Ayew failed to convert.
Some say the penalty was stylishly taken, unfortunately it failed to achieve the much needed result and again Uruguay capitalised on the failed effort to win the match 2-0.
The only difference this time was that both teams were left to sing lamentation songs and they bowed out of the group that also had Portugal and South Korea who advances leaving Uruguay and Ghana to lick their wounds and perhaps pray for another future encounter to settle scores.
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That is football for you. All the permutations, boasting and statistics may be good for academic exercise but the real talking is done on the pitch and the only language the pitch understands is good play, ability to cease opportunity, accuracy and quick thinking.
Frowning and cursing and hauling of stones neither counts as points nor produce goals.
The two nations came, saw, fought and crashed out no need to lament that much another four years will come.
If you ask me they may have left in the group stage but you will agree with me that they are better than countries that failed to qualify.
Sunday Sportainment