Stars performance was below expectation - Addo

Three times goalking and last season’s winner of the Edward Acquah's golden boat, Ishmael Addo, has expressed his thoughts about the Black Stars performance and their failure to reclaim their lost glory. He told the GNA Sports in an interview that the Stars performance fell below expectation due to a number of reasons.

"Basically, the entire team was made up of youthful players with most of us having our maiden romance in a nations cup fiesta. Cohesion, flair and team work needed for the tournament was missing completely", the player said. Addo said the high expectation of Ghanaian soccer fans put the team under severe pressure.

The player said he was unable to prove a point at the tournament because he did not receive the needed passes coupled with the fact that he was asked to operate from the right flank.

"I had it extremely difficult to pick a ball from behind, create space and shoot at goal from that position. And it looked like none of the players new the way I move as a striker hence their inability to place the ball in front of me where I mostly use speed to beat my markers."

He said teammate, Charles Taylor's exclusion from the Stars' was greatly felt especially in the attack adding that against South Africa, there was nobody to create the needed chance for the attack to score.

The prolific striker believes he didn't perform badly though he was not at his peak. He confessed that the inconsistent nature in which he was fielded affected him greatly.

Addo said a player must be consistent in every tournament to be able to improve match after match adding, "I have featured in only two games and did little to prove what I am capable of doing.

Addo disclosed that his contract with first division club Bastia of France was almost a done deal. He said even though he had a lot of offers, he choose Bastia for a number of reasons, among them, the presence of Michael Essien a playmate at the 1999 World Under-17 tournament.