DAR ES SALAAM: SIMBA Head Coach Steve Barker says his side are well prepared for their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first-leg encounter against Equatorial Guinea’s FC 15 de Agosto de Akonibe, insisting that months of preparation have laid a solid foundation for the season.
The two sides are set to meet at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam today, with Simba determined to take a step closer to securing a place in the group stages of Africa’s premier club competition.
Barker, speaking during a training session ahead of the match, said his players had worked hard over the past two months and were ready for the challenge, although he acknowledged the importance of taking each match as it comes.
“Preparations are going well. Obviously, the Champions League is another huge objective for us. One step at a time, and we want to get into the group stages. So, it is important that we get past this preliminary match against 15 de Agosto,” he said.
The South African tactician pointed to the team’s preparations in Kigali, Polokwane and their daily training sessions in Dar es Salaam as key to building the fitness, organisation and readiness required for the campaign. He believes the work done so far has provided a strong platform for Simba to compete, with the focus now shifting to making the necessary adjustments ahead of each fixture.
“I think a lot of our work, preparation and readiness comes from the last two months of training, whether in Kigali, Polokwane or on a daily basis here. Preparations are good, and we have laid a good foundation for the season,” Barker said.
He added that the technical bench would continue to make tactical and personnel changes depending on the opposition, underlining the need for flexibility as Simba pursue their continental ambitions.
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“Now, it is about each and every game, making slight changes tactically and personnel-wise according to the opposition we play. But we are ready,” he said.
For Simba, the immediate task is to negotiate the two-legged preliminary round tie against 15 de Agosto before turning their attention to the Champions’ League group stage. Meanwhile, Tanzania will also be hoping to build on last season’s success, when four clubs reached the group stages of their respective CAF competitions.
The same representatives are back this season, with Simba and Young Africans competing in the Champions League, while Azam FC and Singida Black Stars fly the country’s flag in the Confederation Cup.
However, despite all four sides securing groupstage places last season, their respective continental journeys ended at that stage.
This time, the ambition will be to go beyond the group stages and make a deeper impact on the continent. Yanga have already made a strong start, thrashing CFF Andoharanofotsy 4-0 in the first leg, while Azam drew 1-1 away to ZED FC and Singida Black Stars claimed a 1-0 away victory against Tusker FC.
Attention now turns to Simba, whose first-leg performance will be closely watched as Tanzania seeks to maintain its strong representation in continental football and push towards greater success.