Recent research findings from elite football matches have shown that over 30% of goals are scored from set pieces.
Overall, set pieces or set plays include corners, free kicks, penalties and throw-ins, both in attack and defence.
Therefore, in expanding the knowledge and insight for our readers, FARPost will be running a feature on set piece analysis.
This in-depth and specific breakdown of set play will be delivered by a set piece specialist, Dr Alliance Kubayi.
Dr Kubayi is a senior lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), where he lectures students about sports coaching, sports psychology and performance analysis.
He also lectures master’s degree students from two universities in Zimbabwe on a part-time basis.
Currently, Dr Kubayi is supervising postgraduate students from four different universities. Formerly, he worked as an assistant coach and analyst for the TUT Varsity Football and ABC Motsepe League teams.
He holds a PhD in Sports Science from the University of Johannesburg, a CAF B license, Professional Football Scout Association Performance Analysis Level 1, and Stats – Notational Analysis Level 1, to mention just a few.
Having published over 50 research papers mainly focusing on football, Dr Kubayi brings an amazing wealth of knowledge to the performance analysis community.
Dr Kubayi said there is a need for a paradigm shift when it comes to performance analysis in Africa and South Africa in particular.
Dr Kubayi further said that it is crucial to create your own template for set pieces and include data analysis.
Although some professional teams do not have analysts in South Africa, there is a dire need to employ set pieces coaches in our professional leagues.
For instance, Tottenham Hotspur FC hired Gianni Vio as their set piece coach this season. Vio most recently helped the Italian National team win the Euro 2020 competition.
Spurs have now scored three corner goals in only this season. Furthermore, in each of the first three games, Arsenal FC’s set piece coach Nicolas Jover helped the team score from a dead ball situation.
Don’t miss Dr Kubayi’s set piece analysis feature tomorrow as he looks at the MTN 8 Cup match.
