Suarez is a trivial cheat, not a hero: Rajevac
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SOFIA (Reuters) - Ghana's Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac is still fuming after Uruguayan striker Luiz Suarez stopped a goalbound shot with his hand on the line in the last minute of extra time in their World Cup quarter-final.
"Some say that Suarez is a hero and now he's walking proudly," Rajevac told Bulgarian sports daily Meridian Match on Saturday, a week after the match at Soccer City.
"Come to your senses, people. He's not a hero, he's a trivial cheat. What hand of God? It was the hand of the devil," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Suarez's "Hand of God" denied Ghana the prize of becoming the first African team to reach the last four of a World Cup and sparked a worldwide debate.
Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty to leave the match deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time and Uruguay won the shootout 4-2. Uruguay were then beaten 3-2 by Netherlands in the semi.
Suarez was hailed a hero in South America and a cheat in Europe and Africa. Ghana had been the remaining African survivors in the tournament after six teams started.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"FIFA should change the rule following this fraud," added Rajevac. "Referees should allow a goal and not award a penalty when someone stops the ball with a hand on the line like this.
"I think we could've gone all the way to the final and spring a big surprise -- an African world champion.
"But everything has crumbled after Gyan's miss and in fact, we've lost a match that we should've won and it's really painful."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rajevac said he would like continue his work with the African team but he has yet to talk to the Ghanaian federation about a contract extension.
(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Jon Bramley)