Uruguay Sails Through But Suarez To Be Banned

This is the third time in his career that the 27 year old has been caught on cameras sinking his teeth into an opponent.

“There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.” Suarez told a Uruguay TV station.

In response to the incident, FIFA Vice-president Jim Boyce said, “I have watched the incident several times on television. There is no doubt Luis Suarez is a fantastic footballer but, once again, his actions have left him open to severe criticism. FIFA must investigate the incident.”

Though gifted with football talent, the lethal striker seems to have a magnet of controversies in his career.

In 2013 Suarez was slapped with a ban of 10 matches for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic after previous seven-game ban in 2010 for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax.

Suarez was also banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez, also a football analyst,  also applauded Suarez’s individual effort on the pitch but insisted the striker needs help.

"I just seriously think that he needs help. If you cannot control yourself in those moments, you need some sort of help because that's just unacceptable on a football pitch."  Martinez said. 

The world especially Italy will be eagerly waiting for the official announcement of the ban Suarez will receive from football governing body FIFA.

In Article 77 of Fifa's disciplinary code, the disciplinary committee is responsible for sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials' attention and rectifying obvious errors in the referee's disciplinary decisions.

The longest ban that Fifa has handed to a player in World Cup history was eight games for Italy’s Mauro Tassotti for breaking Spain’s Luis Enrique nose in 1994.

Although Suarez is yet to know his fate, Fifa disciplinary committee has the power to suspend a player for upto a maximum of 24 international matches which can include club games.

Despite the contreversial game Uruguay sailed through with a 1-0 win over Italy after Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin header in the 81st minute.

Greece also progressed to the round of 16 at the expence of Ivory Coast through an injury-time penalty by Samaras that secured a 2-1 victory.

Today’s fixture

Nigeria vs. Argentina 7:00 pm, Bosnia vs. Iran 7:00 pm, Ecuador vs. France 11:00 pm, Honduras vs. Switzerland 11:00 pm all in East African Time

By Morgan Mueke