“I wanted to hit Suarez during a Premier League match” – Asamoah Gyan recounts 2010 World Cup incident

Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan has confessed he wanted to hit Luis Suarez during a Premier League match after the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The Black Stars were denied a semifinal berth at the World Cup courtesy of a Luis Suarez handball incident in the quarterfinals.

The former Liverpool and Barcelona forward prevent a goal-bound header from Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah in the final minute of extra time at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

Suarez essentially produced a save on the line worthy of a goalkeeper and he was shown a straight red card as a result.

Ghana were also awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan’s attempt from 12 yards crashed into the crossbar, which resulted in Suarez going mental on the touchline and sent the game to a shootout.

Uruguay won the penalty shoot-out to progress to the semifinals with Luis Suarez celebrated for his demonic act.

“I remember the game between Sunderland and Liverpool. We were playing at home on that day and all players were shaking hands. I wanted to hit him [Suarez] because people had said things that stuck in my mind.

“I was naïve at that time but when I thought about it later, I realized that I had to let it go because I would have done the same thing if I was in his position,” Gyan said on Peace FM.

Gyan, 36, has ruled himself out of the World Cup, but Suarez, now at Atletico Madrid, is expected to be there.