I have said time and again that my knowledge of soccer/football – or any other sports for that matter – is limited and that I intend to take tutorials on the game. But what I and millions of you witnessed on the afternoon of Friday, June 2nd, 2010, during the match between the Blackstars and Uruguay has turned me off of soccer/football for good!
I will not spend the time to learn about a game that accepts and rewards blatant cheating! We are all already aware that Luis Suarez cheated in order to advance his team. If one cannot win the game fair and square, then he/she should not play. No true sportsman (or woman) will ever resort to such cheap tactics to win a game. And no true fan of soccer/football can ever be happy that his/her team resorted to such despicable ploys.
I am aware of Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal that took place back in the 80’s. But what Maradona did over two decades ago pales in comparison to Suarez’s shameful ploy to advance his team. Luis Suarez’s desperate handling of the ball has now been aptly termed as “Hand of Satan”. If there is indeed, a Lucifer, I hope he strikes the Uruguay soccer/football team with something similar to “The Curse of the Bambino”, and prevent them from qualifying for the World Cup for the next two hundred years!
From what I understand, FIFA is apparently now deciding on how long Luis “Cheating Hand” Suarez should be prevented from partaking in the games. In my view, a red card and a penalty kick for the opposing team is not enough of a punishment. Suarez should be banned, at the very least, for a decade! And his title as “2010 Dutch Footballer of the Year” should be stripped away with immediate effect. Luis Suarez has forever tainted the game of soccer/football for many. And as such, he should pay dearly!
Luis Suarez has robbed Ghana – and by extension Africa – of making history by blocking the goal that would have sent the first African nation to the semi-finals. For this reason, some misguided souls deem him a hero, but Suarez is the epitome of a villain in my book! As much as we all wanted the Blackstars to win, if any of them had resorted to the tactics employed by Luis Suarez, I would have been very disappointed and ashamed of them. But, alas, the Blackstars played as gentlemen and true sportsmen!
The aforementioned gentlemen can hold their heads up high for bringing Ghana and Africa this far. And subsequently bringing dignity to the continent; a virtue that Luis Suarez can never boast of. From the blogs that I have been reading, nearly the whole world believes that you, Blackstars, were the true WINNERS of the match. And that Suarez and his cabal of thieves are sore losers and a disgrace to the sport.
The Blackstars played well; and I’d like to appeal to all not to blame Asamoah Gyan for missing the penalty kick. Let us be a bit grateful, for it was Gyan’s penalty kick that beat the Serbians; it was also his penalty kick that allowed us to draw with Australia. Asamoah Gyan scored the goal that took out the “mighty” USA and allowed us proceed to the quarterfinals. In short, if it weren’t for Gyan’s penalty kicks in preceding games, we might not have made it this far. So, a bit of gratitude is in order!!
Nkrumah’s Blackstars will hold their heads up high for centuries to come. While Luis Suarez and his band of thieves will forever be known as CHEATERS!!
http://www.ghanaweb.com
