Story by Grace Sibanda
WITH Zimbabwe’s suspension from international football having been lifted by FIFA, sports analysts have implored coaches and players to harness performance analysis to improve the quality of the game.
For many football fans, the game`s failure and success are at face value a result of neglecting what happens behind the scenes to ensure game success and quality.
The key lies in striking a balance between the art of coaching, the application of scientific principles, and athletic development from the coaches and players alike.
Performance analysis has provided sportsmen with an opportunity to track technicalities, physical performance, and tactical ability, with the use of GPS systems amongst others, to ensure the quality of the game and players are of international level.
“FIFA has admitted us back and we have to start exporting our talent and we can do this by first monitoring our players, registering their stats, thus making them marketable. If our teams embrace performance analysis such as Bulawayo Chiefs and Chicken Inn Gamecocks have embraced, the game can be elevated and our players will get used to international standards that are used in football. Our players need to know their acceleration, and energy consumption so as to be even better themselves,” said sport performance analyst, Javas Sibanda.
Grassroots-level training is key in producing a breed of soccer players that can perform on the international stage, with little things such as diet and sleep being critical in enhancing performance.
“Our standards have to be elevated in football, we have to start instilling performance analysis from a young age so that footballers already know the tactic and technique. One may ask why a certain coach lets a player play for 20 minutes or bench another player, it is due to performance indicators, and hence performance analysis works for both the player and the coach as well.
“Players need to eat right, sleep well, and earn right, hence coaches need to take these into serious consideration so that we have a good crop of players whom we can even export to other countries, knowing fully well they will be up for the challenge,” said sport scientist and analyst, Dr Joseph Sibindi.
Performance analysis areas include key performance indicators, injury prevention, work rate analysis, movement analysis, technique and tactic effectiveness, among others, which go a long way in improving the game to ensure quality output and success.
