Player Incentives as Determinants of Team Performance of Elite Male Football Clubs in Malawi
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Abstract
This study examined the extent to which player incentives determine team performance in elite male football clubs in Malawi, with particular emphasis on monetary and non-monetary incentives. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, drawing data from 177 respondents comprising 104 players and 73 officials (coaches and administrators) selected from ten Super League clubs. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that both monetary and non-monetary incentives are significantly associated with team performance. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between monetary incentives and team performance (r > 0.60, p < 0.05) and a moderate positive relationship between non-monetary incentives and team performance (r > 0.50, p < 0.05). Regression results further showed that incentive variables jointly explained a substantial proportion of variance in team performance (R² > 0.50, p < 0.05). Notably, non-monetary incentives demonstrated a stronger standardized effect than monetary incentives, indicating their greater explanatory power in predicting performance outcomes. Non-monetary incentives such as access to training facilities, medical care, and recognition emerged as particularly influential, especially within a financially constrained football environment. The findings suggest that while monetary incentives remain important for motivating players, non-monetary incentives provide a more stable and sustainable basis for enhancing team performance.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ashley kaphinde, Professor Ishaq O. Oladipo, Dr Bhekhuzulu Khumalo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Professor Ishaq O. Oladipo, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
PROF. OLADIPO, Isiaka Oladele
PROFILE
Current Role: OLADIPO, Isiaka Oladele is a Visiting Scholar and Head of the Department
of Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences in the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine,
University of Heath and Allied Sciences, Ghana. The Secretary, International Council for
Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports, and Dance ( Africa Region).
Academic and Professional Background: He did his undergraduate programme at the
University of Benin, Nigeria, He obtained his master’s degree and Doctor of Philosophy in
Exercise Physiology from University of Ibadan. He joined the Department of Human Kinetics
and Health Education, University of Ibadan in the year 2001 as Lecturer II and was called to
Professorial Cadre in 2014 as a Reader and full Professor in 2017. He served as the Head of
the Exercise Physiology Unit in the department in the year 2002. He served as visiting
Scholar in the Department of Sports and Exercise Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology, Ghana (2010-2012). He was appointed a Professor (part-time) of
Sports Science and Technology in the Dept. of Sports Management and Policy Development,
Pan African University and he is a Course Facilitator with National Open University, Nigeria.
Professor Dele Oladipo has served as the Managing Editor of the Africa Journal of the
International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports, and Dance(2020 -
2023). Likewise, served as a member of ICHPER.SD Exercise Physiology Commission and
has attended several local and International Conferences including the Biennial Conferences
of the European College of Sport Science.
Community Service: Prof. Dele Oladipo was a former elite football referee. He officiated
over a hundred top-rated football matches in Nigeria and participated in the 1995 World
School Sports Football Tournament held in Cagliari, Italy. He is currently a Premier League
Football Referee Assessor and a FIFA Physical Fitness Instructor. He served the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) as a Resource Personnel in Nigeria's Identification and
Development of Football Referees. He is a National and International consultant on Nutrition
and Sports Performance.
Dr Bhekhuzulu Khumalo, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Malawi
Dr. Bhekuzulu Khumalo is a Zimbabwean sports scientist, academic, and educator with over three decades of experience in physical education, coaching, and research across Southern Africa. He currently serves as a lecturer in Sports Science at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), where he also coordinates academic programs and leads departmental initiatives aimed at enhancing applied sport science education and research.
Dr. Khumalo holds a PhD in Sports Science and Coaching from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His research has focused extensively on disability sport, athlete development, and physical activity access, including his doctoral study on Wheelchair Basketball Participation Trends in Zimbabwe. He also holds an MSc in Adapted Physical Activity from KU Leuven and the University of Limerick.
As Malawi’s team leader for the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA), Dr. Khumalo is playing a key role in the development and publication of Malawi’s national Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. His work in this area reflects his enduring commitment to evidence-based advocacy for inclusive, active lifestyles across age groups and abilities.
Dr. Khumalo has contributed to peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and international reports, including the Zimbabwe 2016, 2018, and 2022 Report Cards. He also serves as a reviewer for SCOPUS-indexed journals and has evaluated doping policy proposals with a focus on African perspectives.
Through his roles in academia, government advisory bodies, and community sport initiatives, Dr. Khumalo continues to influence policy, research, and practice in physical activity promotion, health education, and inclusive sport development in the region.
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