Addo slams exit talk

Eric Addo has quashed talk that he plans to retire from international football after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Roda JC center half was reportedly calling time on his long national team career after the 2010 World Cup but he has moved quickly to slam the suggestion insisting he will continue to play so long as he feels healthy and is involved at club level.

Addo told KickOffGhana.com that he has been shocked by the reports. “I don’t remember saying I wanted to retire after the world cup be it from international football or from the sport generally,” he said.

“Obviously once I am strong and healthy and involved at club level then playing for the national team is something I will still do.”

Addo first played for Ghana as an 18-year old in the 1998 Nations Cup before battling hard to return from an eight year absence to represent the country at the 2006 world cup in Germany.

He was a regular for the Black Stars during the 2008 Nations Cup and went on to play all but one game in the qualifiers as Ghana reached the 2010 edition.

And with the draw for that tournament due on Friday, Addo is braced up for whatever will come Ghana’s way.

“I think once you have qualified for the tournament you must be prepared for any team. Before our last World Cup the theory was that there was no way we could qualify from a group that contains Italy and Czech Republic but once it came down to the field of play we rubbished that so we are up for it.”

“The most important thing is that in June we will go to South Africa with confidence and our minds on the job at hand because many of the teams will come with players we meet on a weekly basis.”