Luis Suarez's famous deliberate handball stopped Ghana progressing to the World Cup semi-finals ©Getty Images

Ghana's Chef de Mission for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham believes the country could have gone on to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup if it was not for Luis Suarez's famous handball.

Frederick Acheampong, who is also an Executive Committee member of the Ghana Football Association, will get to see his country lock horns with Suarez's Uruguay again after they were drawn together in the group stage for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

The two sides met in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Suarez deliberately used his hand to prevent a certain Ghana goal which would have put them 2-1 ahead with just seconds left in extra time.

Suarez was sent off, but Ghana's Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant penalty and Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals via a shootout.

It remains as one of the most talked about and controversial moments in World Cup history.

Ghana could not capitalise on Luis Suarez's red card as they missed the resultant penalty ©Getty Images
Ghana could not capitalise on Luis Suarez's red card as they missed the resultant penalty ©Getty Images

"What happened in South Africa in June 2010 is on the mind of every Ghanaian football loving fan," Acheampong said.

"We thought that was a great opportunity for Ghana and Africa to stake a claim for the World Cup.

"We believed that we would have made the semi-final, and who knows the final, and possibly even winning it, Africa winning it for the first time.

"That particular handball, I think it broke a lot of hearts here in Ghana and across Africa in general."

Acheampong, the treasurer of the Ghana Olympic Committee, is due to oversee a record team of 97 athletes at Birmingham 2022.

"I'm sure it will be an interesting game when Ghana meet up with Uruguay in Qatar," he added.

For the full interview click here.