Tanzanian side Simba SC have announced Steve Barker as their new head coach, ending the latter’s near nine-year stay at Stellenbosch FC.
Barker has been instrumental in the rise of the Winelands club from a second-tier franchise into the Betway Premiership and among the top teams in the country.
They are in their second season competing in the CAF Confederation Cup.
His move comes out of the blue but was confirmed by Simba on Friday, with the East African side no stranger to South African coaches after Fadlu Davids led them to the Confederation Cup final last season, beating Stellenbosch in the last four.
Barker will take over from the Bulgarian Dimitar Pantev, who only joined Simba at the start of the season.
He won four of his five Tanzanian league games but has struggled at the start of the group stages of the CAF Champions League, opening with two defeats.
Barker led Stellenbosch FC to the Carling Knockout trophy in 2023 and successive MTN8 finals against Orlando Pirates, both of which were lost.
The club had repeatedly sold their best talent over the years and are reportedly set to lose New Zealand international Andre de Jong to Orlando Pirates in January.
Barker is the nephew of former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker, who led South Africa to the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations crown.