Ghanaian fans in Qatar trooped in their thousands to the Education City Stadium on Monday to watch the Black Stars upset South Korea 3-2 in a cracking Group H encounter at the ongoing World Cup tournament.
But they want more!
That victory was wildly celebrated here by local fans, who were supported by their counterparts from Ghana to splatter the city of Doha in national colours, after the scorching tie that saw the Koreans stage a stormy finish in their gallant loss.
However, the fans are urging the Stars to avenge the infamous, heart-ravaging defeat handed them by Uruguay in the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
“We’re excited by the win against South Korea. The boys have done tremendously well; but that’s not enough. What we want to see desperately now is victory over Uruguay on Friday,” Yaw Amanakwaa Agyekum, a Ghanaian domiciled in Qatar told the Times Sports yesterday.
“Nothing in this world would make me feel relieved than beating Uruguay and sending them packing home,” was another fan based in Doha, Nii Amasah Ababio.
Egyptian top journalist Halash Moustafa and British Tony Walson are goading the Stars to go for the kill and get ‘the cheats’ out, referring to the Luis Suarez handball incident in 2010.
Twelve years ago in South Africa, Suarez volleyed out a goal-bound ball in what was the last action of a searing quarter-final game, denying Ghana a place in the semi-final. Uruguay would go ahead to win the resultant penalty shootout.
It was the most painful incident in Ghana’s sporting history, and for many, it was time for the Stars to dash for revenge.
The Uruguayans have just a point going into tomorrow’s game, having drawn with South Korea before losing to Portugal; and would be expected to come hard at Ghana in a bid to salvage their fleeting World Cup dreams.
However, Ghana Head Coach Otto Addo insists that painful memory will not provide the adrenaline heading into the big clash as he does not aim at vengeance.
“I’m a guy who doesn’t think too much in the past when this incident happened. I’m a strong believer if you don’t seek revenge, you get even more blessings.
“It’s a different approach, a different team. Uruguay have very good strikers, lots of experience. They are very compact, very good. It will be very, very difficult, again.
“We are a team that knows every game will be on the edge and we have to be at our best to beat them. But I’m confident enough to know we can win this game,” he told the media on Tuesday.
FROM JOHN VIGAH, DOHA-QATAR
