Ishmael Addo

Ishmael Addo (born 30 July 1978) is a Ghanaian former professional football striker. He is best known for his accomplishments during his career at Ghanaian side Hearts of Oak, but has also spent several years in France, Israel, Greece, Cyprus and India. A diminutive striker with an exceptional turn of pace, Addo's ability to score goals and demoralise the opposition has led to him earning the nickname "baby-faced assassin".[1] Holding the record of overall top scorer in the history of the Ghanaian League (22 goals in a single season), he is considered to be one of the most talented strikers ever to grace the competition.[2] At some point during his career, Addo was named in FIFA's top 100 prospects.[1]

Ishmael Addo
Personal information
Date of birth (1976-07-30) 30 July 1976
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Youth career
–1999 Hearts of Oak
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 Hearts of Oak 71 (64)
2002 → Bastia (loan) 2 (0)
2002–2004 Maccabi Netanya 48 (13)
2004–2005 Maccabi Tel Aviv 13 (1)
2005 → Ergotelis (loan) 15 (1)
2005–2006 Enosis Neon Paralimni 1 (0)
2006–2008 Hearts of Oak 53 (39)
2008–2009 East Bengal 4 (2)
2011 Wassaman United 0 (0)
2015 Eleven Wonders
National team
Ghana U17
Ghana U20
2000–2002 Ghana 9 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Addo started his professional football career at Ghana's Hearts of Oak in 1998, where he remained for four seasons, in three of which he finished the country's top scorer.[1] During his spell with the club, Addo won the 2000 CAF Champions League and 2001 Super Cup, four Ghanaian League championships (1997–98, 1999, 2000, 2001) and two Ghanaian FA Cups (1999, 2000). In his final playing year with Hearts of Oak, Addo broke the Ghanaian League season top-scorer record with 22 goals,[2] thus helping his side win the league and cup double.[1] During that same season, Addo scored two late, controversial goals for Hearts of Oak to defeat arch-rivals Asante Kotoko 2–1, in a match that was marred by the worst stadium disaster ever to take place in Africa.[3]

After an unsuccessful loan spell at French club SC Bastia, Addo was signed by Israeli side Maccabi Netanya during the summer of 2002.[1] He opened his account for his new club with a hat-trick in a cup game in his second start, and ended up scoring eight goals in 19 league appearances in his debut season.[1] His second season with Maccabi Netanya did not go as smoothly, as Addo struggled to find the net during a difficult season for the club. His eventual tally of five goals were not enough to save the club from relegation. Addo had however already drawn the attention of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, joining the side in July 2004. Addo made an immediate impact at the start of the new season with a goal on his debut in a 2–1 win against Greek club PAOK during the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.[1][4] He went on to feature in all six UEFA Champions League group stage matches, without however scoring a goal.[5]

After struggling to establish himself in the Maccabi Tel Aviv first team, Addo was loaned out to Greek Superleague club Ergotelis in January 2005 until the end of the season. He scored his only goal in 15 caps for the club on 20 February 2005, in a 2–1 victory over reigning champions Olympiacos.[6] Addo then moved to Cyprus signing with Cypriot First Division side Enosis Neon Paralimni, but after spending yet another season struggling, he decided to return to Ghana and his first club Hearts of Oak in October 2006.[1]

Addo spent the next two years at the Ghanaian League powerhouse adding one more Ghanaian League championship to his palmarès in 2007. He parted ways with Hearts of Oak in 2008 and signed with Indian top flight side East Bengal in 2008, joining compatriot Yusif Yakubu at the club.[1][7] Addo was released from his contract at the end of the season in 2009, after failing to impress the club, who fielded him as a midfielder, despite the fact he had proven to be more efficient as a striker throughout his career.[8]

After spending the next two years without a club, Addo had a short stint with newly promoted Ghanaian Premier League side Wassaman United.[9] He left the eventually relegated club in 2011 and was once again unattached until January 2015, when he signed with second-tier Ghanaian club Eleven Wonders.[10]

International career

Addo was a key member of the Ghanaian U-17 team that reached the FIFA U-17 World Championship semifinals in New Zealand. He won the golden boot award, scoring seven goals that helped Ghana to an impressive third-place finish.[11]

Addo made his senior debut in July 2000 at the age of 17, also managing to score his first goal against Sierra Leone during the 2002 World Cup CAF qualification final round.[1][12]. He went on to have 9 appearance for the black stars.[13]

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.10 July 2000Accra Sports Stadium, Accra Sierra Leone5–05–02002 FIFA World Cup qualifier

Honours

Club

Hearts of Oak

Country

Ghana

Individual

Records
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References
  1. "Ishmael Addo Profile". ghanaweb.com.
  2. "Ishmael Addo tops the Big Debate". modernghana.com. 27 January 2014.
  3. "Five unforgettable Hearts-Kotoko clashes in Accra". Pulse.com. 1 May 2016.
  4. "Maccabi take significant step". UEFA.com. 10 August 2004.
  5. "Ishmael Addo Player Profile". ESPN FC Asia.
  6. "Σοκ για τον Ολυμπιακό στην Κρήτη, πλησίασε στους δύο βαθμούς ο ΠΑΟ (Greek)". in.gr. 20 February 2005.
  7. "I-League: East Bengal Sign Addo For Edmilson". goal.com. 30 November 2008.
  8. "Ishmael Addo axed in India". modernghana.com. 27 July 2009.
  9. "Ishmael Addo Close To Joining Wassaman". modernghana.com. 30 September 2011.
  10. "Ishmael Addo: Ex-Hearts star signs short- term deal with second-tier Eleven Wonders". ghanasoccernet.com. 6 January 2015.
  11. "FIFA Under-17 World Championships Awards". rsssf.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
  12. "Ghana/Sierra Leone: Ghana Maul Sierra Leone 5-0 In World Cup Qualifier". allafrica.com. 10 July 2000.
  13. "Ex-Hearts of Oak star Ishmael Addo does not regret Black Stars struggles". www.ghanaweb.com. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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