Former Ghanaian international John Paintsil believes the Black Stars should look beyond getting revenge over Uruguay and focus on winning each game at the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana has been drawn in Group H in this year’s World Cup with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay after securing a shock qualification ahead of the more-fancied Super Eagles of Nigeria to the Mundial.
The Black Stars were on the verge of becoming the first African nation to compete at the semifinal stage at the World Cup but lost a penalty shootout to Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup in a match that is best remembered for a Luis Suarez handball on the goal line and the subsequent penalty miss by Ghana forward, Asamoah Gyan.
Speaking to Citi Sports at the recently held National Team Day Walk with the Legends programme that was held to garner support for the Black Stars campaign in Qatar, Paintsil who featured in that emotional game said that the team needed to see the bigger picture of making out of the group rather than fixating on getting revenge over Uruguay for the events of 2010.
“It’s a game that anytime any Ghanaian remembers, it becomes a bit emotional. It was a game that denied us from playing in the semifinal even going to the final. I will urge my players, the Stars to take (the games) one at a time. It’s not only Uruguay that we are going to play in the group stage. Definitely, for Uruguay, we will beat them but they are not (the) only team we are targeting.”
The Walk with the Legends event brought together past members of Ghana’s World Cup campaigns including Richard Kingston, Derek Boateng and Samuel Osei Kuffour to trek from Ayi Mensah to Aburi Hilltop with executives of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) to rally support for the Black Stars.