Soccer News of Wednesday, 30 April 2003

Source: gna

Coach Addo not worried about small size of team

Herbert Addo, head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak has said that the reduction in the number of players registered by the club for this years' CAF Champions League as a result of player truancy and resignation is not posing any worry to him because he is confident of making it to the money zone with the calibre of players left at his disposal.

"If the remaining 19 players would be committed and take their training seriously I don't think we would have any problem in qualifying for the money zone of the competition". Coach Addo stated.

In a post match interview in Lome, after his side had beaten AS Douane of Togo 3-1 in the second leg preliminary match of the CAF Champions League, the coach said he has confidence in the present team, adding that if they would heed his technical instructions on the pitch, they would make it the financially rewarding stage of the competition.

Commenting on their next opponents, Coach Addo said they have to work harder in order to go past the Angolans because the Southern Africans teams are always good sides, which must not be underrated.

" This is the most difficult part of the competition, so we have to work harder to surmount the task ahead of us," the Coach said. He said they would get into a much serious training this week to prepare for their next match against the Angolans and hoped they would make it to the next stage.

The coach said despite their win, there were loopholes in their performance and he would have to work around the clock to seal them before they go into their next match.

On the victory, the coach said, his boys played according to instructions hence their demolishing of the Togolese in the second half adding "they should have scored six goals in the second half.

It would be recalled that the 27-man squad registered for Africa by Hearts has reduced to 19 following the absence of Charles Taylor who has declared his intention to play for Kotoko, and the likes of Princeston Owusu-Ansah and Massawudu Mumuni who have deserted the team.

Acquah Harrison and Daniel Coleman are yet to join the team from Power FC while newly signed-on keeper Mohamed Alhassan has found his way into the camp of Kotoko and Laryea Kinston has just returned from Saudi Arabia with an ankle injury.