New York Mayor-elect Zohran Kwame Mamdani has revealed that Luis Suarez’s infamous handball against Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final left him in tears in the stands of Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium.
The dramatic match, played on July 2, 2010, saw Ghana on the brink of becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final on home soil.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the final seconds of extra time, Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header was deliberately blocked on the line by Suarez’s hands.
Uruguay’s striker was sent off, but Asamoah Gyan struck the resulting penalty against the crossbar. Uruguay went on to win the shootout 4-2, knocking the Black Stars out of the tournament.
Appearing on The Adam Friedland Show, Mamdani recounted the moment that still evokes strong emotions 15 years later.
“I was at the Ghana-Uruguay game. That’s where I cried in public. Yeah, Luis Suarez,” he said, adding, “It was the closest…” before trailing off.
The stunned host responded: “Asamoah Gyan. Dude, I can’t… The mayor caring about soccer is… The mayor caring about Arsenal is like Wakanda for me.”
Mamdani, who was elected Mayor of New York City on November 4, 2025, has deep personal ties to the continent and to Ghana in particular.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents, he was given the middle name “Kwame” in honour of Ghana’s founding President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He spent his early childhood in Kampala, later moved to Cape Town where his father taught African studies, and eventually settled in New York at age seven.
The Mayor-elect’s emotional admission has quickly resonates with Ghanaian football fans, many of whom still regard the 2010 quarter-final as one of the most painful moments in the nation’s sporting history.