Among the more famous quotes from Karl Marx is the one that refers to another philosopher. “Hegel remarked somewhere that all great facts and persons of world history happen twice, so to speak. He forgot to add: once as tragedy, the other time as farce,” Marx wrote in The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Since Friday, World Cup matches between Uruguay and Ghana can be counted among the events that have been repeated.
In the second World Cup duel between the two countries, Uruguay won again, this time 2-0. And like the first time, penalties were crucial. Especially one that the German referee Daniel Siebert didn’t give and that would have helped Uruguay. The two-time world champion was eliminated from third place in the group ahead of Ghana because of the worse goal difference compared to South Korea.
The tragedy, from a Ghanaian perspective, happened in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa 2010 – its effect lasted until Friday’s game. At the time, Uruguay striker Luis Suárez prevented a safe goal from Ghana with a hand ball in the penalty area – and was revered as a martyr at home, but declared a devil in Ghana. Asamoah Gyan smashed the ensuing penalty against the crossbar and Uruguay won on penalties to advance to the semi-finals. The farce that followed on Friday? After a good quarter of an hour, referee Siebert, on the urgent advice of video referee Bastian Dankert, decided on a penalty for: Ghana. Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet had touched Mohammed Kudus on the feet. Whether he was actually responsible for kudu taking off as if taking a dip in the Persian Gulf was irrelevant in the end. Because Ghana’s shooter André Ayew failed to Rochet (21st).
Many believed they had witnessed the most dramatic moment of the game: Ghana’s André Ayew’s penalty was saved by Uruguay’s goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.
(Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)
The impact on the Ghanaian central nervous system could not have been more devastating. They suddenly shook more violently than any Bedouin tent in the sandstorm. Just after the penalty Darwin Núñez almost lobbed past Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi with a fine chip; three minutes later Uruguay’s hopes were fulfilled. In the most suggestive stadium in World Cup history – an author of the English Guardians already felt reminded of a vulva when looking at the design model – the two-time world champion (1930, 1950) ended the infertility of his offensive efforts. After a cross from the right, which was missed by two Ghanaian bundles of nerves, Suárez pulled away. Ati-Zigi saved, the rebound maneuvered Giorgian de Arrascaeta into the goal (26th). Six minutes later it was de Arrascaeta again, this time with a handsome volley from eight yards out after a Suárez assist (32′).
During the break, Ghana’s coach Otto Addo must have explained to his team what the cipher crowbar means in his birthplace of Hamburg and in the rest of Germany. At least from now on there was a greater will to come back into the game. Only: The dangerous scenes created the Uruguayans. Once Núñez tanked his way into the penalty area and fell in a tackle with Daniel Amartey. Referee Siebert had to be called to the screen again by the VAR. And he basically should have pointed to the penalty spot again – at least by the yardstick he set in the first half. However, Siebert surprised the 43,443 spectators as well as Luis Suárez by making the interesting assessment with gestures that Amartey had played the ball. Suárez, who has been notorious as a shoulder biter since the 2014 World Cup, chewed Siebert’s ear off until he saw a yellow card and was replaced by worried coach Diego Alonso.
The final minutes again bring a maximum of drama
What followed? A formidable volley from 30 meters by Federico Valverde (70th), which Ati-Zigi defused with difficulty, and desperate attempts to attack by the Ghanaians. Semeyo narrowly missed, then Rochet spectacularly deflected a long-range shot from Kudus to the corner.
But the decisive factor was the news from the Education Stadium in ar-Rayyan: South Korea won 2-1 and was through if Uruguay didn’t raise. Now it was the Uruguayans who tried it with the crowbar. But without luck.
In the final minute there was again maximum drama: Edinson Cavani fell in a duel with a Ghanaian and demanded a penalty. Siebert assumed a swallow. Maxi Gómez shot from 25 meters, again Ati-Zigi was sensational on the spot. And with that, the last hope of the Uruguayans was dead. Their frustration erupted on the lawn – and on referee Siebert, whom they wanted to physically hit on the way into the stadium tunnel. “The team gave their all and it’s very clear what happened. That’s all we can say now,” Uruguay coach Alonso later said.
And Ghana? “That’s football. Sometimes it’s beautiful, sometimes it’s ugly. Today it was ugly,” said national coach Otto Addo, before adding: “This team has a great future ahead of it.” However, without the 47-year-old – who confirmed that he will return to Germany after the World Cup.