It’s amazing what confidence can do for a squad of footballers, writes former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs defender David Nyathi.
All the hard work at training means nothing if you don’t get results. It can smash your confidence, as you start hiding on the pitch to avoid responsibility because you don’t want to make mistakes.
It also creates an opportunity for those on the sidelines to start pointing fingers. It begins with the players who haven’t been involved in the team – they start questioning the coach’s decisions, his starting lineup, the formation and the tactics.
This has a knock-on effect on the regular players, who start questioning their own performances, or try to cover themselves by blaming teammates. Soon you have a divided squad and a coach who isn’t sure of who to play and how to play. The players sense the coach’s uncertainty and it spreads through the squad.
But what a difference a few good results can make for the team. Often, that first win comes on the back of a poor performance, but nobody is complaining because it’s a results business and winning ugly is much better than losing pretty.
A win gives everyone a healthy dose of confidence. Suddenly there is a spring in the step and the team is visibly lifted. On to the next match and another win – the team is buzzing and everyone is united by the result. Two wins in a row and the six points have lifted the team right up the table. Confidence is oozing. Everyone wants to play, everyone wants the ball, nobody is hiding on the pitch.
The coach is enjoying his training sessions because the players are motivated and happy. There’s a buzz at training and a great spirit in the dressing room.
Suddenly luck starts to favour you, something that was missing when you started your bad run. Scuffed shots go in, the ball bounces for you and even the refereeing decisions go your way. You feel unbeatable and the feeling is contagious. On to the third match and the performance is better, the confidence lifts everyone and the result is never in doubt – you all feel it and it excites you. You are suddenly near the top of the league table; those around you have dropped points – they have their own issues to deal with – but you are flying high!
Performances are fantastic and there is an expectation that the team is going to absolutely smash somebody soon – you can all feel it. The wins keep adding up and four wins becomes five. Nobody remembers the poor performances at the beginning of the season, nobody remembers the mistakes and there is no finger-pointing or whispers behind the backs of players or the coaching staff. This is what supreme confidence can do for the entire club after a string of great results.
The coach’s only worry now is how to keep it going. In the back of your mind you know it can’t last forever, and the question is always ‘when will it end?’ An injury to a key player can get the doubts started. Players are all superstitious so anything different to the routine, anything that happens that can change a training schedule can create nervous tension, and that is never good for confidence.
But while it lasts, there is nothing more powerful for an athlete than supreme confidence in yourself and in your team. Nothing breeds success like success.
– This article first appeared in Issue 75 of SoccerClub magazine
