Ghana centre-back Daniel Amartey says his team was determined to prevent Uruguay from reaching the World Cup knockout stages if they could not qualify themselves.
Their Group H meeting on Friday was billed as a revenge match for the Black Stars that failed to reach the last four at the 2010 finals after an infamous Luis Suarez handball in extra time which stopped a goal bound header.
Suarez was sent off but celebrated wildly after Asamoah Gyan hit the bar with the resulting penalty and Uruguay then won 4-2 in a shootout.
The West Africans went into the rematch at Al Janoub Stadium knowing a win would see them through to the last 16 in Qatar, while a draw might also be enough. Two-time World Cup winners Uruguay, meanwhile, had to pick up three points and hope South Korea failed to beat Portugal.
Andre Ayew – the only survivor from Ghana’s squad 12 years ago – missed a penalty before Uruguay took a 2-0 lead as Suarez, now 35, had a hand in both goals.
That looked enough to see the South Americans progress but after South Korea sealed a late win, Uruguay suddenly needed a third goal in second-half stoppage time to qualify on goal difference.
“I just told my team-mates that we need a goal now but they need a goal now, we have to defend for ourselves so that if we can’t go, they don’t go,” Amartey said.
Asked if it was important to deny Uruguay a place in the last 16, Amartey said: “For me, yes.
“It was tough because you can see their centre-back, everybody comes [forward]. Uruguay needed one goal to go through and you can see we defend four against five or three against two but we managed to defend.”
