President John Dramani Mahama has admitted he still harbours frustration toward Luis Suárez for the striker’s infamous handball during Ghana’s 2010 FIFA World Cup clash with Uruguay in South Africa.
Speaking at the Ghana World Cup fundraising campaign on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Mahama reflected on the heartbreak of that moment.
“I still remember 2010 vividly, the energy that was in the air. The nation stands still, united in hope,” he said.
“As we came within a whisper of gaining world glory. I still don’t like Suarez since that incident, and I have never wished him well for what he did,” Mahama added.
The incident remains one of the most controversial in World Cup history.
In the dying moments of regulation time, Suárez deliberately handled Dominic Adiyah’s goal-bound header on the line, denying Ghana a place in the semi-finals.
Despite Suárez being sent off, Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty, and Ghana eventually lost in the shootout after 120 minutes of football.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars are set to make their fifth World Cup appearance this summer. They will face Panama, England, and Croatia in Group L, beginning their campaign against Panama on June 17, then taking on England on June 23, and concluding the group stage against Croatia on June 27.
