Barker Praises Unbeaten Run Despite Title A…

Simba Head Coach Steve Barker. Photo: Facebook/Simba SC Tanzania

Despite missing out on the Tanzanian Premier League title, Steve Barker has still taken plenty of positives from his first season at Simba SC.

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Simba and Young Africans (Yanga) took the title fight down to the last game of the season. The Reds of Msimbazi did not have their destiny in their own hands.

Both teams won their final game of the season, with Simba winning 1-0 and Yanga claiming a 3-0 win, to ensure the latter claimed a fifth consecutive league title.

It was a disappointing blow for Barker and his side as they embarked on a 25-game unbeaten run in the league, including winning their final 10 games, to finish on 73 points, two behind Yanga.

Disappointed But Proud

According to Pan-Africa Football, Barker was happy with the season and was full of praise for his players for their resilience in what was a challenging campaign.

“We are obviously disappointed because we wanted to win the league,” Barker said after the final whistle. “But I am incredibly proud of the players and what they have achieved,” he admitted.

The former Stellenbosch coach also spoke fondly of their unbeaten run and believes they can build on it for next season.

“It is a fantastic achievement to go through the league unbeaten since we arrived,” the South African said.

“It shows the commitment of the players and gives us a solid foundation to continue building on,” he added, saying the earlier draws cost them too much.

Another Cup Challenge

Simba have the opportunity to end their season on a high note when they face Azam FC in the CRDB Bank Federation Cup final (Tanzanian FA Cup).

Barker has already led Simba to one trophy this season when they won the Muungano Cup, an eight-team tournament between four Zanzibar and four Tanzanian teams.

The Lesotho-born manager said his team remains fully focused on the challenge at hand as they put their league disappointment behind them.

“We have one very important match left,” he said. “Our full focus is now on the Federation Cup final. It is another opportunity to win a trophy, and we will prepare as well as we possibly can,” he concluded.

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