Africa’s dream is over after Ghana’s Black Stars were kicked out courtesy a 4-2 penalty shoot-out by Uruguay. It was a game the Stars should have won and had only a penalty kick away to an historic semi-final berth after Suarez turned himself into goal keeper and grabbed a goal bound header on the goal line on the stroke of full time- extra time. Suarez was shown a straight red; and a penalty awarded, but when it mattered most, Asamoah Gyan’s penalty kick took a ricochet off the goal post. Ghana, Africa’s dream was all but gone. And even after Gyan redeemed himself in the subsequent penalty shoot out, skipper John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah fluffed theirs and Uruguay were off to a semi-final clash against Netherlands on Tuesday. It was a gruelling challenge, started rather slowly by the Stars but an electrifying kick by Sulley Muntari in the 40th minute set the stage for an uncompromising encounter. The Uruguans came back strongly with the equaliser in the second half after Diego Forlan blasted the free-kick strong and direct but Richard Kingson who was jittery throughout the game was caught out of position and the ball zoomed into the top right corner of the post. The game was destined for the shootout but a last gasp effort by the Black Stars gave a glimmer of hope. A free kick by Paintsil deep into the goal area of the Uruguans culminated into a goal mouth melee and Ghana was awarded a penalty after Suarez grabbed the ball. Asamoah Gyan who had early on in the tournament converted two penalty kicks in the tournament failed to make it count. And if his miss was painful, the time he missed it was even heartbreaking. That kick was to be the last action of the game and if Gyan had scored the Stars would have made history. But he missed. And when the game went into the wire, John Mensah and Adiyiah missed their penalty kicks but the Uruguans converted theirs taking thenm through to the semis. By Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana