President John Dramani Mahama has revisited one of Ghana’s most painful football memories, openly admitting that he still holds deep resentment toward Luis Suárez for his controversial handball that shattered Ghana’s 2010 World Cup dream.
His remarks came on Friday night at the Black Stars World Cup fundraising campaign held at the Kempinski Hotel, where he reflected on the emotional weight that still surrounds Ghana’s dramatic exit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Recalling the atmosphere at the time, Mahama said the country was swept up in unity and expectation as the national team edged closer to a historic breakthrough on football’s biggest stage.
“I still remember 2010 vividly, the energy that was in the air. The nation stands still, united in hope. As we came within a whisper of gaining world glory. I still don’t like Suárez since that incident, and I have never wished him well for what he did,” he said, a comment that triggered laughter and reactions from the audience.
The painful moment he referenced occurred during the closing stages of extra time in the quarter-final clash in Johannesburg, when Suárez deliberately blocked a goal-bound effort on the line with his hand, stopping what would have been a decisive winner for Ghana.
Although Suárez was immediately shown a red card, Ghana’s chance slipped away moments later when Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the resulting penalty. The match eventually ended in a shootout defeat, cementing the episode as one of the most heartbreaking and debated moments in World Cup history for Ghana.
