In football, success goes beyond strength and speed; it relies on understanding the game and teamwork. Coach Cliff Nolin will share his insights and, at least once a month, write about current and hot topics in Seychelles football in his “Seysoccer Cliff’s Corner” on our Seysoccer media platform. We wish him all the best for his exciting new column!
Enjoy “Seysoccer Cliff’s Corner” by Cliff Nolin:
The national team needs players who are able to represent our country properly on and off the field. The head coach must have clear ideas about what style of football he wants his team to play, including how to defend and attack. The team must have clear instructions on how to behave in any situation. You can hand over responsibility to the players, but the team will win by luck. When the team is not performing, you will always look for excuses.
The style of play can be applied to different formations. The team needs a clear identity. You need players who speak the same football language and understand football in the same way. Our players don’t have the level of tactical understanding and awareness to adjust in different situations during the game.
Each training session must be aimed at developing players’ game intelligence to acquire superiority. Seychelles has been encountering the same problem for quite a long time: our opponents always have positional superiority over us. When we are attacking, we lack socio-effective superiority (team chemistry). Our players can’t read the moves of their teammates, which is why our attack is ineffective.
In the past, our teams had good chemistry while attacking, like St. Louis in the 80s and St. Michel in the 90s. Even our past national teams had that good chemistry, such as Jerris Cesar/Mike Mancienne, Roddy Victor/Ralph Jean Louis, Philip Zialor/Alpha Balde, etc.
When I watch the national team, I presume that some of our players are encountering difficulties in playing with responsibilities while attacking. They don’t understand each other; they only use their physical strength and individual ability. Those movements must be executed tactically during training. If a player is physically fast but cannot make quick decisions, his speed becomes ineffective.
Football is a brain game: when and where to press, cover, run, etc. Decisions like these—which come from the brain—determine whether you are a great player. Our players lack the ability to adapt and make good decisions in any situation, especially when under pressure.
We have not created midfielders of the caliber of Jerris Cesar, Brian Uranie, Roddy Victor, etc. Those types of midfielders help the team maintain a clear structure, provide balance between attack and defense, possess excellent awareness, and dictate the tempo of the game. Seychelles is scared to expose talented young players as deep-lying playmakers. Those young boys are missing the chance to grow. We are using ball-winners (physicality over intelligence). Roddy Victor was not a physical player, but he was always remarkable in that position.
Remember, football is a brain game; strategic positioning and movement are essential. Players must not only understand their roles but also the roles of their teammates and how these roles interconnect to dominate the space and flow of the game.
The clubs need to work smarter for Seychelles to have a great national team. Most clubs in Seychelles put more emphasis on physical and tactical work. The aim of most teams is to win at all costs; they don’t realize that the more the players develop, the better the results. They neglect techniques, which is why our players encounter difficulties controlling the ball with speed, under opposition pressure, and in tight spaces.
Training must be relevant to actions carried out during games. It must replicate game situations as closely as possible. The coach must create a training environment that constantly challenges players to think and react quickly.
