Hearts of Oak legend, Sam Johnson has attributed the club's recent poor showing in Africa to inexperience and player fatigue.
The Ghana Premier League champions hope of playing the group phase of the CAF Confederations Cup was crashed after losing to JS Saoura in the return leg.
The Phobians having won the first leg by 2-0 suffered a 4-0 defeat in Algeria to end the tie 4-2 on aggregates in the playoffs.
Prior to that, Hearts of Oak suffered a shameful 6-2 aggregates against Moroccan side, Wydad Athletic Club in the playoffs of the Champions League.
"For me, I would say it's inexperience and also fatigue. Because the champions league game was close, the players did not get the needed rest right after winning the league. That is another factor in their poor form. But all the same, you are a professional so you have to endure such things. That is where I will blame the playing body, what do they do with the little rest? Do they rest during their resting days or roam? That’s what I can say. I can’t blame the coach, the management or the team. I think it is because of inexperience and fatigue." he told Kumasi based Ashh FM.
Johnson refused to point fingers for the team’s difficult moment, stressing on the need for the team to come home and rework its plans for the season.
"I don’t want to blame anybody. They all did their best but couldn’t achieve what they wanted. So they should come back and put the defeat behind them. They can still do it because the league is still young, they can go again. That is what champions do. If they say they are champions this is the time to show. You have failed one, you have to try again and do it again. If you fail, you go again and do it again. They will get it." he added.
Meanwhile, Hearts of Oak are yet to win a game in the ongoing 2021/22 Ghana Premier League leaving them at the bottom of the league log.