Johannesburg — An extraordinary miss with the last kick of the game cost Ghana a World Cup semi-final place as Uruguay beat them on post-match penalties at Soccer City on Friday night.
Ghana could have become the first Africans to reach the final four of a World Cup but blew their chances when Asamoah Gyan hit his penalty, in the final minute of extra time, against the crossbar and over.
Instead the two teams drew their match 1-1 after two hours of pulsating action and Uruguay went on to win 4-2 on penalties.
Ghana had won the late penalty after dominating the last exchanges of a game in which the players were almost dead on their feet.
Uruguay's Luis Suarez handled in the penalty area and was sent off but the Black Stars failed to make use of the golden opportunity.
Ghana had taken the lead two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half, when Sulley Muntari hit a speculative effort from long range that arched past the goalkeeper as it floated through the air.
The shot came from almost nowhere as Muntari was tracking back to pick up a strap pass from Gyan.
Uruguay were level 10 minutes into the second half with Diego Forlan scoring again against African opposition. His free kick was brilliantly struck from some distance out and sailed right over all the defenders and attackers, and past Richard Kingson, who seemed to get his angles wrong.
Uruguay began the game with much more purpose than Ghana and had three opportunities inside the first quarter-hour, with Alvaro Fernandez providing an inviting cross, Suarez shooting at Kingson and Diego Forlan making life difficult for the Ghana goalkeeper with a twisting free kick.
But the first real chance for Uruguay came off the chest of John Mensah as the Ghana captain attempted to clear a swinging corner, serving only to steer it towards his own goal. Fortunately for Ghana it hit Kingson smack in the face and bounced away to safety.
Ghana came back into the game after 20 minutes with two sudden chances. Isaac Vorsah went wide with a header from a corner and then Gyan might have scored after being set up by Kevin Prince Boateng.
Ghana gained a bigger advantage when Uruguay’s defensive stalwart and captain Diego Lugano went off injured and there were chances for Muntari and Boateng after that, but both were squandered.
Suarez had three second half chances but the game went to 1-1, and extra time, after ebbing and flowing for 120 minutes. There was no score in extra time, forcing the penalty shootout.
