Members of Uruguay's national soccer team celebrate after team mate Sebastian Abreu scored the winning goal during a penalty shoot out as Ghana's players react (R), at the end of a 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 2, 2010. [Agencies]

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Uruguay reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1970, beating Ghana 4-2 on penalties Friday after the last African team in the tournament was denied victory by a cynical handball and a missed penalty in the last seconds of extra time.

The two-time champion Uruguayans advanced to face the Netherlands in the semifinals after Sebastian Abreu casually chipped the last penalty straight down the middle to secure the win, after a 1-1 draw following 120 minutes of play.

Asamoah Gyan had a chance to secure Africa's first ever World Cup semifinal spot for Ghana, but he hit the crossbar with a penalty after Uruguay forward Luis Suarez was sent off for handling the ball on the line.

"I think I made the best save of the World Cup," Suarez said, labeling it "the hand of Suarez."

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Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera then made two important saves in the shootout.

"To be among the four best (teams) in the world, there are no words for that," said Uruguay forward Diego Forlan, who scored a second-half equalizer with a free kick in the 55th minute. "We felt we were going to faint with each penalty."

Gyan, who'd converted penalties to secure a win over Serbia and a draw against Australia in the group stage, bit his jersey and walked away with his back to the goal when he missed the chance to secure a semifinal spot.

"It has been a very difficult moment," Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi said in a television interview. "Our boys played very well, beautiful football.

"If it was meant for us, less than a second to go, we would have won the match. It has been a terrible moment for the entire continent, not just for our nation."

Gyan put it down to "hard luck," but was convinced the ball had crossed the line before Suarez touched it, and the goal should have counted.

"We had (an) opportunity to win this game but unfortunately that is football for you," Gyan said. "The ball went in, it did cross the line, and the referee disallowed it."

In regulation, Sulley Muntari gave Ghana the lead with a 35-meter (yard) left-foot strike seconds before halftime, but Forlan equalized with a curling, 20-meter (yard) free kick from the left 10 minutes after the break.

Ghana picked up the tempo in the dying stages of extra time and had other chances to win.

Kevin-Prince Boateng missed with a header in the 118th in the midst of three defenders. He sent in a cross from the left in the next minute which Muslera had to save at the near post.

Suarez was given a direct red card in the last minute for batting away Dominic Adiyiah's header with his arms after he'd already blocked Stephen Appiah's shot on the line.

"It's difficult to be sent off at a World Cup," Suarez said. "But the way in which I was sent off today _ truth is, it was worth it.

"I saw the penalties in the changing room. I was very nervous, alone and sitting down. It was a difficult moment but I had total confidence in my colleagues."