Uruguay end African fairy tale, earn spot in semis

JOHANNESBURG - Two-time winners Uruguay ended Africa’s World Cup dreams by beating Ghana 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout Friday after their quarter-final ended 1-1 following 120 minutes of play.

The result sent Uruguay to the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in 40 years, and it eliminated the last remaining African team at the first World Cup in Africa.

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera stopped spot kicks by Ghana captain John Mensah and 20-year-old Dominic Adiyiah in the shootout, and Sebastian Abreu converted the winner for Uruguay.

There was plenty of drama in Johannesburg as the South Americans finished the match with 10 men after Luis Suarez was red-carded for a handled ball at the goal line just before the end of extra time.

Asamoah Gyan struck the resulting penalty but sent it off the crossbar, setting up the shootout.

Sulley Muntari had opened the scoring for Ghana two minutes into first half stoppage time before Diego Forlan equalised in the 55th minute for the 1930 and 1950 world champs at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium.

In the first semi-final Tuesday in Cape Town, Uruguay - fourth-place finishers at Mexico 1970 - will face off against the Netherlands.

It will be the second World Cup match-up between the teams following a 2-0 group stage win for the Dutch in 1974.

Ghana’s run to the 2010 quarters was already an all-time best after they improved upon their Round of 16 showing in their first World Cup at Germany 2006.

A victory would have made Ghana the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. But the South Americans squashed the host continent’s final dream.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez made two changes compared to his team’s 2-1 victory over South Korea. Injured Diego Godin and Alvaro Pereira were out of the line-up with Mauricio Victorino and Alvaro Fernandez taking their places.

After beating the United States 2-1 in extra time, Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac was missing two of his key players due to suspensions in Andre Ayew and Jonathan Mensah. Replacing them were injury returnee Issac Vorsah and Sulley Muntari.

Uruguay dominated the proceedings in the early going, with Ghana keeper Richard Kingson saving an own goal in the 18th minute on a ball off Mensah’s chest towards the goal. And Suarez was close at the 26-minute mark.

Being pushed on by a crowd of 84,000 spectators, Ghana nearly made the South Americans pay for their inefficiency four minutes later with Vorsah’s header going just inches wide left. And Gyan was just inches wide of the right post in the 31st.

The Uruguay coach had to swap out his captain and defensive boss Diego Lugano in the 38th minute with a right knee injury, replacing him with Andres Scotti. And Tabarez was close to having to substitute Jorge Fucile just before the break after the left-back fell horrifically on his head and shoulder.

Muntari then gave the Africans the lead two minutes into stoppage time. The little-used Inter Milan midfielder unleashed a blast from 30 metres which Muslera misjudged and watched pass him just inside the right post.

The South Americans showed their class by equalising in the 55th minute. Kingson took a half-step to his right, which was just enough for Forlan’s free kick from the left side to sneak past him to make it 1-1.

Suarez nearly gave Uruguay the lead in the 63rd, but his attempt went just wide right as Kingson was beaten.

Him and Man of the Match Forlan continued to come up with dangerous chances to grab the lead as the game headed towards extra time.

The extra time lacked any highlights until the final 10 minutes, with Gyan and Derek Boateng both threatening Muslera’s goal.

The drama reached unimaginable levels in the stoppage time of extra time when Suarez stopped a shot on goal at the line but then used his hand to stop the rebound attempt, getting his marching orders from Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca.

Gyan stepped up to the spot with a chance for glory on the line, but he hammered his penalty off the crossbar.