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Pre-Competition Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Performance Outcomes in Elite Iraqi Football Players: A Prospective Observational Study

Saad Abbas Abed1
  1. University of Samarra ROR
Published2026-06-12
SectionArticles
LanguageEnglish
Views56
Downloads18
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.65115/sfxyts30
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Abstract

Pre-competition anxiety and self-efficacy are recognised as primary psychological determinants of athletic performance in team sports. This prospective observational study examined the relationships between somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-efficacy, and match performance ratings in elite Iraqi male football players across a competitive season. Fifty-two players from three Iraqi Premier League clubs (age: 23.7 ± 3.4 years) completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R) and the Sport-Specific Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) two hours before each of 12 consecutive league matches. Multilevel modelling revealed that somatic anxiety was negatively associated with performance (beta = -0.38; p < 0.001), while self-efficacy was positively and significantly associated with performance ratings (beta = 0.52; p < 0.001). Self-efficacy moderated the anxiety-performance relationship. These findings highlight the central role of self-efficacy as a psychological resource that buffers competitive anxiety in elite Iraqi football players

Keywords Pre-Competition Anxiety Self-Efficacy Athletic Performance Cognitive Anxiety Football Psychology

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How to cite

Abed, S.A. (2026). Pre-Competition Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Performance Outcomes in Elite Iraqi Football Players: A Prospective Observational Study. Al-Malwiya Journal of Sport and Movement Sciences, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65115/sfxyts30

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