Steve Barker: Stellenbosch lose long-serving coach to Tanzanian giants

Stellenbosch FC are looking for a new coach following the shocking departure of long-serving coach Steve Barker.

Barker has opted to end his eight-year stay at the Cape Winelands side to join Tanzanian giants Simba SC, who have lured him to Dar es Salaam, to replace Bulgarian Dimitar Pantev who was sacked last month.

The tactician’s departure is a shock given he had established Stellies as a side that consistently challenges for the top positions on the table while they have even been impressing on the continent with back-to-back CAF Confederation Cup appearances.

Barker has enjoyed success with Stellies

Barker has also nurtured plenty of players during his stay at Stellenbosch but has seen his star players leave every season, making it difficult to build a title-winning squad, and looks to have been attracted by the prospect of doing this at Simba.

He joins a Simba team that is looking to wrestle the Tanzanian league title from Yanga, who have won it the last four years, while they are also in the CAF Champions League, having reached the final of last year’s Confederation Cup, after beating Barker’s Stellies at the semi-final.

Under Barker, Stellenbosch won the 2023 Carling Knockout and have reached the final of the last two MTN8s, losing to Orlando Pirates on both occasions.

He becomes the second South African to coach Simba this year after Fadlu Davids, who left to join Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in September, before Pantev was hired.