Icheoku decries Uruguay's illegal second goal-keeper, Luis Suarez's one match suspension by FIFA, for deliberately parrying off a goal-bound header by Ghana's No 18, Dominic Adiyiah, as simply not enough, adequate or sufficient a punishment and/or deterrent. FIFA should have used the opportunity to send a strong message that criminal (cheating) behavior of that magnitude will not be tolerated at such level of its competition or any other one for that matter; but not the slap on the wrist of a one-match suspension he received, which will not make much dent in the team's performance-ability, being akin to the red card shown him and yet the team went ahead to win the match anyways. The entire Uruguayan team should have been sent packing and out of the competition, they are the final and ultimate beneficiary of Luis Suarez criminality of stealing a Ghanaian prospective winning goal and should not have been allowed to profit from his crime by proceeding to the next quarter final rounds of the competition. Any trained eyes looking at the position of the ball, would agree that it had already beaten the attempted header of Uruguay's other last man on the left before Luis Suarez on the right, deliberately used his both hands to parry the ball away from inside the goal. This is just another glaring case of the ongoing referee snafus at the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 with a referee not ruling a ball which has crossed the goal line a goal? The football/soccer governing body does not seem to be serious enough with reigning in and arresting the ugly situation which is spoiling the fun of the competition and have now enabled a side which, to all intent and purpose, lost a match to benefit from their frontal assault of the rules of engagement as they non-meritoriously proceed to the next quarter final rounds of the competition. Just look at the goal line and the position of the bent-over backwards Uruguayan other defender who attempted but failed to head off the ball; then take a look at Luis Suarez's goal-line toe position and his twisted body, as well as his hands position. Only one conclusion is possible from all these deductions, - that the ball was already in the net, a goal and should have been awarded to Ghana before the drama of missed penalties kicked in. In essence, Ghana was robbed of their victory both by Luis Suarez and the referee, whose actions (commission and omission) affected the outcome of the match. Winning at all cost and by all and any means necessary, defeats the main essence of the world cup competition, which is supposed to help foster unity of the world, through international felicitations. So, tell Icheoku how any Ghanaian or African or even black-man in general will not constantly be reminded of this 'robbery' whenever a Uruguayan comes into his/her focus? Icheoku says, Uruguayans will henceforth because of Luis Suarez broad daylight stealing, be perceived as soccer-cheats and possibly some other thing cheats? If FIFA allows Uruguay to get away with this 'act of murder of its football competition' and Uruguayans proceed to the quarter finals of this competition as is most likely they would, FIFA would have, by necessary implication, officially instituted cheating as no other losing side will ever allow itself to be outscored; instead they will all turn to goalkeeping; after-all they have seen that penalties can be missed, and would rather take a chance at that option. The uncertainty of a penalty will always be a preferred option by loosing countries and their teams, to assured in-bound goals. The right thing for FIFA to do or have done is to upturn the match-result and award it to Ghana: - declare Ghana the moral winner for playing and winning according to the rules; disqualify Uruguay for being jointly responsible for the illegal act of their player and further, ban Luis Suarez for life from playing in any FIFA sanctioned and organized football competition. Luis Suarez brought dishonor to the fun-competition, as another South (Latin) American football cheat, Brazil's Pele and Argentina's Maradona' fabled "hands of God" considered? Flagrant cheating as exhibited by Luis Suarez should be drastically punished by sending such countries out of the competition so that such cheat can go back to his country to explain to his country men and women, why he caused them their playing chance at the competition. It is just like allowing an armed robber to keep his loot, just because he was caught and sent to the jail; no Icheoku says the beneficiary country is equally at fault and should not be allowed to benefit from such offensive act of one of its players. What if they were all in cahoots in the scheme to win at all cost? Uruguayans and their cheating scumbag, Luis Suarez, deserves a boot out of the South Africa world cup competition and Luis additionally should be banned for life from the competition. He irreparably damaged FIFA and its world cup competition until redressed completely in full. This is the right thing to do, the correct thing to do, the fair thing to do and another case which makes the current call for goalmouth/post technology not sound loud enough. Technology which will help referees in cases as this to see for a second time, that this was a clear goal and the most plausible decision, before making their call final. To the Black Stars of Ghana, Icheoku says, thank you, kudos to you for a job well done; admitted providence and the cheating hand of Luis Suarez conspired to rob you what would have been soccer's crown jewelry for Ghana, Africa, the black race and other minorities of this world, in South Africa 2010. You made Africa proud to the end. Hopefully the government of President John Evans Attah Mills will still go ahead to accord you a rousing reception whenever you make it back to Accra as you richly deserved it - you won but were robbed of your victory! Walk tall with your heads held high, chests pushed out like models, you are the new soccer kings and ambassadors of Africa; your wonderful run in South Africa 2010 just crowned you that. Congratulations!
Ghana team to be honored by government
ReplyDeleteBy FRANCIS KOKUTSE, Associated Press Writer
9 hours, 15 minutes ago
Email Print
ACCRA, Ghana (AP)—Ghana’s World Cup players will be given national honors and $20,000 each after reaching the quarterfinals in South Africa.
“You deserved to be honored because you have made Ghana and indeed Africa proud by your performance,” Mills said Tuesday in announcing the accolades at a lunch for the team. The Black Stars were greeted by cheering fans when they returned to Accra on Monday night.
Ghana was adopted as Africa’s team during its run to the final eight of the tournament. The squad came close to being the first team from the continent to make the semifinals; they were knocked out in a penalty shootout by Uruguay in the quarters. The other five African teams all failed to qualify for the second round.
“You did not win the World Cup but, through your performance, you carried high the flags of not only Ghana but Africa,” Mills said.
As well as the cash bonus for the players, a government official said members of the coaching team would receive a reward of $10,000 each.
Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, who is from Ghana, wrote in a letter to the team that he was one of millions left “heartbroken” after the Uruguay loss.
Ghana was denied victory when a blatant hand ball prevented a goal in the final seconds of extra time. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty kick, forcing the shootout.
“You won because you brought us all together,” Annan’s letter said. “The lasting trophy to take away from the tournament is this incredible moment of unity.”