Suarez defends handball against Ghana

Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez says there is absolutely nothing wrong with his handball against Ghana at the 2010 World Cup.

The 27-year-old used his hand to block Dominic Adiyiah’s header in the dying embers of the quarter-final match between Ghana and Uruguay.

At the time, the match was heading for extra time as the scoreline remained 1-1 after Diego Forlan equalized Sulley Muntari’s goal.

Suarez was red- carded while Asamoah Gyan failed to convert the resulting spot kick.

The game then travelled to extra time and later the shootout was won by the Uruguayans.

Suarez’s act was obviously the factor that denied the Black Stars a historic semi-final appearance.

But the former Ajax player has told the Uruguay FA’s official website that he did nothing evil to anyone.

“I stick with the feeling of having helped my team,” he said ahead of the friendly with Austria. “I stopped a goal, and I believe that it is worse when you stop a goal and injure an opponent, seriously injure them, and get sent off for that.

“Stopping a goal with my hand I believe did nothing evil to anyone -- it was just stopping a goal."

Afterwards came all the joy that Uruguay had won on penalties,” he said. “That is not something to feel bad about either, nor is it something strange.

“The referee did what he had to do. I stopped a goal and did not hit any opponent, nor did I injure anyone.”

Suarez says Gyan should bear the responsibility for Ghana’s failure to progress, adding: "The referee did the right thing -- he sent me off and [Ghana] had a penalty. But the taker was a Ghana player, not me.”