Kalou said most African players had put a lot of pressure on themselves because the World Cup was being hosted on the continent for the first time.
"Expectations were huge and we owed it to ourselves to perform well, but the pressure has caused us more stress than anything else and even inhibited our talents," Kalou told FIFA website.
"There have been a few players who haven't been up to the standard required. Their abilities have been crushed by the pressure they put on their own shoulders," a candid Kalou said.
"When we played Brazil, we defended too deeply and let them have too much of the ball. You can't get away with that against a team like Brazil as it's difficult to regain possession," he said.
"You run after the ball, you start to tire and they automatically take advantage. Those are the regrets, but that's also how you learn," Kalou said.
