Soweto Derby: SA coaches claim Tanzanian derby bigger than Chiefs vs Pirates 

South African coaches Steve Barker and Manqoba Mngqithi believe Tanzania is slowly catching up with South Africa while their derby is on the same level as the Soweto Derby.

Barker, who coaches Simba SC, and Mngqithi, the coach of Young Africans (Yanga), will face off in the biggest game in Tanzanian football, popularly known as Kariakoo Derby, on Saturday with the two teams level on 18 points in the Tanzanian Premier League.

Both of them have been taken aback by the huge interest in the game from media, fans and stakeholders and they think its stature is now in the league of the Soweto Derby, the biggest match of the South African football calendar.

Tanzanian derby bigger than Soweto?

“These types of matches are exactly what we want to play for,” Barker said during a pre-match press conference in Dar es Salaam on Friday.

“The Derby between Simba and Yanga is as big if not bigger than Kaizer Chiefs- Orlando Pirates Soweto Derby”

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“Players grow up as children dreaming to be playing in the derby one day. It is the same for coaches, it is the reason why I came through to Tanzania to coach Simba Sports Club.

“It is a club that is challenging to win league titles and challenging on the continent. When you play against your arch rivals in Tanzania like tomorrow, in my opinion and maybe people back home in South Africa may not agree, but I believe that this derby is as big if not bigger than Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

“This is a massive derby on the continent and it is a privilege as a coach to be involved with this and it adds a little bit of extra spice that a lot of my coaching staff as well as Yanga’s are South Africans.”

Mngqithi shocked by massive interest

Mngqithi feels the same and has praised Tanzania for pulling all stops for the game, something he says he hardly notices back home in South Africa.

“The Tanzanian Derby is highly marketed.

In South Africa,we are used to being supported when the team is playing well “

Yanga Head Coach Manqoba Mnqithi compares the magnitude of football in Tanzania and South Africa#AfricanFootball#DollarTV pic.twitter.com/KCQlYRWsFK

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“I think this derby is highly marketed and in South Africa, we hardly get so many journalists in any match, including the final of any competition,” said the former Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns coach.

“We hardly have so many journalists, a lot of interest from supporters or this kind of vibrance.”

“In South Africa, we are used to being supported when the team is playing well. When the team is not winning, the stadium is very quiet. But here, the vibe, atmosphere is always driving the team to give a little bit more,” he stated.