How does team composition affect performance in continental tournaments?

Ernest Yeboah Acheampong,Malek Bouhaouala,Ellis Kofi Akwaa-Sekyi

doi:10.1080/23311886.2019.1606133

Abstract

There is a dearth of research on factors, which affect the composition of high performing teams in continental tournaments. Given the short time available for managers to prepare national teams for...

Highlights

We consider that a national team composed of more professional players from the elite leagues abroad and with the inclusion of quality local talents having age advantage tend to produce the needed outcomes in tournaments
The question that comes to mind is; how does team composition maximize the probability of national teams winning medals in tournaments? We focus on hardly researched team characteristics that affect performance in tournaments
Tracing the history of the tournament since its inception and using data from 1990–2017 of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) when international football transformed with its associated socioeconomic opportunities, we analyzed how national teams’ managers or coaches can assemble formidable winning teams in continental tournaments

Summary

Introduction

We consider that a national team composed of more professional players from the elite leagues abroad and with the inclusion of quality local talents having age advantage tend to produce the needed outcomes in tournaments. There is a paucity of empirical research on team characteristics, which affect team performance from the African setting. Managers of national teams have relative time-constraints to raise and prepare strong teams to excel in tournaments as compared to their club counterparts. It is crucial for managers and football associations to rely on research-based frameworks to serve as a guide to compose winning teams. The question that comes to mind is; how does team composition maximize the probability of national teams winning medals in tournaments? We focus on hardly researched team characteristics that affect performance in tournaments The question that comes to mind is; how does team composition maximize the probability of national teams winning medals in tournaments? We focus on hardly researched team characteristics that affect performance in tournaments

Objectives

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Conclusion