Uruguay warm to villain role

URUGUAY are warming to their role as the World Cup’s pantomime villains ahead of today’s semi-final against the Netherlands (kick-off 7:30pm), despite suggestions that Oscar Tabarez’s side could face a frosty reception from fans in Cape Town.

Locals have not yet forgiven the South Americans for the way Luis Suarez deliberately handled on the line in the last minute of their quarter-final against Ghana, sending Africa’s last representatives out of the tournament.

The fact that Suaraez has refused to apologise, preferring instead to compare his actions to Maradona’s infamous ‘hand of God’, has hardly endeared him to football purists, either, and although the striker will be suspended for tonight’s game the controversy is refusing to dissipate.