Dar es Salaam. Newly appointed Simba Sports Club head coach Steve Barker steps into one of the most demanding roles in Tanzanian football, facing twin challenges that will define his tenure: ending the club’s prolonged domestic title drought and rescuing their fading CAF Champions League campaign.
Barker, who joins Simba from South African side Stellenbosch FC, inherits a club still searching for stability after four consecutive seasons without winning the Tanzania Mainland Premier League. It is a hurdle that has proved too high for several of his predecessors, underlining the scale of the task ahead.
Since Simba last lifted the league title in the 2020–2021 season under Didier Gomes, a succession of coaches have come and gone without restoring domestic dominance.
Gomes himself lasted 280 days, followed by Pablo Franco (204 days), Roberto Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ (310 days), Abdelhak Benchikha (149 days) and Fadlu Davids (443 days). None managed to halt the rise of arch-rivals Young Africans (Yanga).
Between the 2021–2022 and 2024–2025 seasons, Yanga not only dominated the league race but also won six consecutive head-to-head encounters against Simba across competitions. That period firmly shifted the balance of power in Tanzanian football and intensified pressure on Simba’s technical bench.
Simba’s domestic struggles extended beyond the league. The Msimbazi Reds have failed to make a meaningful impact in the CRDB Federation Cup over the past four seasons, not even reaching the final during a period in which Yanga claimed multiple titles.
Yanga lifted the cup in 2021–2022 after defeating Coastal Union on penalties, followed by wins over Azam FC in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, before overcoming Singida Black Stars 2–0 in the 2024–2025 final.
As a result, Simba’s only silverware since their last league triumph has been the Community Shield in 2023 and the Muungano Cup in 2024 — achievements that have done little to ease growing fan frustration.
CAF Champions League pressure
Beyond domestic concerns, Barker faces an immediate test on the continental stage. Simba have made a sluggish start to their CAF Champions League Group D campaign, playing two matches without registering a win.
Their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals now hinge on two decisive fixtures against Tunisia’s Esperance — first away on January 23, 2026, followed by a return leg in Dar es Salaam on January 30. Victory in both matches would lift Simba to six points and thrust them back into qualification contention.
The group remains finely balanced. Esperance sit third with two points, while leaders Petro Atlético and Stade Malien, both on four points, are scheduled to face each other. That scenario offers Simba a lifeline — but only if Barker can engineer an immediate turnaround in form and mentality.
Restoring belief at home
While continental success is vital, Barker’s longer-term mission lies in restoring Simba’s domestic dominance and reconnecting the team with its supporters. The club is now staring at a fifth straight season without a league title, a reality that has steadily eroded patience among fans.
Recent performances have lacked identity and conviction, leading to growing dissatisfaction in the stands. That unrest culminated in the dismissal of former head coach Dimitar after just 61 days in charge, highlighting the unforgiving environment Barker now enters.
Why Simba chose Barker
Despite the pressure, Barker arrives with strong credentials. At Stellenbosch FC, he oversaw the most successful period in the club’s history, crowned by victory in the 2023 Carling Knockout Cup — the first major trophy the club had ever won. The achievement elevated Stellenbosch’s status and cemented Barker’s reputation as a disciplined, detail-oriented tactician.
He further enhanced his profile by guiding Stellenbosch into CAF competitions for the first time last season, where the team impressed with organisation and competitiveness.
Those performances attracted continental attention and convinced Simba’s leadership that Barker could provide the technical reset the club desperately needs.
Barker is no stranger to Simba either. He faced them in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals, where Simba advanced 1–0 on aggregate after a first-leg win in Zanzibar and a goalless draw in South Africa. At the time, Simba were coached by Fadlu Davids — now in charge of Raja Casablanca — whom Barker has publicly praised.
Before leaving Stellenbosch this season, Barker had guided the club to the top of Group C in the CAF Confederation Cup with four points from two matches. Domestically, however, he departed with Stellenbosch sitting 14th in the South African Premiership, having collected 12 points from 14 games.
Now in Dar es Salaam, Barker’s challenge is clear: halt Simba’s domestic decline, restore belief among supporters and reignite their continental ambitions — a mission that will demand results, and quickly.
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