President John Dramani Mahama has admitted he still harbours resentment toward Luis Suárez over the striker’s infamous handball during Ghana’s clash with Uruguay at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
John Mahama made this remark while addressing guests at the Ghana World Cup fundraising campaign on Friday, March 20, 2026.
“I still remember 2010 vividly, the energy that was in the air. The nation stands still, united in hope. 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,” he said, drawing laughter and nods from the audience.
The incident remains one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history. Luis Suarez deliberately handled the ball on the goal line in the dying moments of extra time, denying Ghana a historic semi-final spot.
Although he was sent off, Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and Ghana went on to lose the match in a penalty shootout.
Mahama’s comment reflects a sentiment widely shared among Ghanaians, for whom the 2010 defeat still lingers as a painful near-miss on football’s biggest stage.
