Match-Related Statistics Differentiating Winning and Losing Teams at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Soccer Championship.

Alliance Kubayi,Paul Larkin

doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.807198

Alliance Kubayi, Paul Larkin

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.807198

Copy DOI

Abstract

This study investigated game-related statistics differentiating the winning and losings teams of matches during the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament. The sample consisted of 38 games, with the data obtained from the InStat Scout platform. Data were analyzed using mean (M), SD, effect size (ES), structure coefficients (SCs), and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results showed that the winning teams performed significantly better than the losing teams in terms of shots (M = 12.13, SD = 4.67, Z = −2.26, ES = 0.62), shots on target (M = 5.05, SD = 2.54, Z = −4.22, ES = 1.13), and shots from counter-attacks (M = 2.24, SD = 1.42, Z = −2.48, ES = 0.57). Shots on target (SC = 1.22), shots (SC = −0.73), fouls (SC = 0.60), total passes (SC = 0.44), and yellow cards (SC = −0.32) presented the highest discriminatory power. These findings highlight the key match performance variables which influence the game results and may assist coaches in developing and implementing team strategies to improve the likelihood of winning the AFCON championship.

Highlights

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the largest continental soccer championship organized under the auspices of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
The results showed that the winning teams performed significantly better than the losing teams in terms of shots (M = 12.13, SD = 4.67, Z = −2.26, effect size (ES) = 0.62), shots on target (M = 5.05, SD = 2.54, Z = −4.22, ES = 1.13), and shots from counter-attacks (M = 2.24, SD = 1.42, Z = −2.48, ES = 0.57)
With the return of South Africa to the African soccer competitions in 1996, the tournament expanded to 16 teams; Nigeria withdrew from the competition due to political issues, thereby reducing the number of teams to 15 (Confederation of African Football, 2014; Kubayi and Toriola, 2020a)

Summary

Introduction

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the largest continental soccer championship organized under the auspices of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The first competition was held in 1957, with the following four countries competing: Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Since 1968, the tournament has been held every 2 years, with the number of teams increasing to eight in 1968 and 12 in 1992. With the return of South Africa to the African soccer competitions in 1996, the tournament expanded to 16 teams; Nigeria withdrew from the competition due to political issues, thereby reducing the number of teams to 15 (Confederation of African Football, 2014; Kubayi and Toriola, 2020a). In 2019, the number of teams expanded to 24 in order to give more countries an opportunity to participate in the championship. The AFCON is rated as the most popular tournament on the continent, watched by millions of people in every African country (Njororai, 2019)

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion