Manu regrets participating in CHAN

Khartoum, Sudan, Feb. 16, GNA - Striker Stephen Manu has expressed regret for participating in the 2011 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after rejecting an offer to play abroad.

The New Edubiase forward told GNA Sports in Khartoum that he is being haunted after shunning a plan to make a move abroad but deciding to participate in the tournament for local-based footballers obviously to raise his value.

"I had an offer abroad, but I turned it down to play at the CHAN. With our disappointing performance I regret not taking it up."

Opting for a silent response on the identity of the club, the top joint scorer in the local Premier League added that the competition has, however, served a lesson for him towards making decisions as far as his career is concerned.

"It is part of life and we learn from our mistakes. This experience will help my decision making in future."

On the team's performance at the tournament, Manu explained that the bad nature of the pitch affected their performance just as ill luck.

"These are the best players in Ghana and I do not know what exactly went wrong. The team was even stronger than the 2009 squad that reached the final. With the quality of players in the team, we should have gone further= .. We were simply unlucky."

The former Asante Kotoko striker also mentioned the official match ball "Jabulani" as a contributing factor since they were not familiar with it. "The 91Jabulani' also affected us. We never used it and some of us were playing it for the first time at the tournament."

Manu empathized with coach Herbert Addo, who has come under a barrage of criticisms in the wake of the team's disastrous outing at the tourname= nt.

"I feel very sorry for the coach. This is a man who has won the Leag= ue and is well respected in Ghana, and to go back without a win is very embarrassing."

The Stars lost to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Niger and bowed out of th= e competition pointless, serving the worst outing by a Ghanaian team at a major championship in recent times.