GONE! Steve Barker dumps struggling Stellenbosch for ex-Orlando Pirates coach's former club!

Steve Barker has ditched the Premier Soccer League outfit Stellenbosch for Tanzanian top-tier outfit Simba SC in place of fired Dimitar Pantev, who left early this month owing to poor results.

The East African heavyweights were home to former Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids, who opted to take over as a Botola Pro League's Raja Casablanca coach.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi have now unveiled their new man, hoping he will take them to greater heights in their bid to achieve their set objectives. 

During his playing days, as a midfielder, Barker was shaped at Ramblers FC, Potchefstroom Celtic, and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) FC, respectively.

He later joined Wits University, where he played from 1990 to 1998, before the now-defunct SuperSport United came calling from 1999 to 2000. 

Barker came in as a coach for the University of Pretoria FC, commonly referred to as AmaTuks, from 2008 to 2014 before switching to AmaZulu, where he headed the team until 2016.

The tactician's next stop was at Stellies, where he had been the main man from 2017 to 2025, before Wekundu wa Msimbazi gave him a new challenge.

As a coach, Barker won one major trophy, the Carling Knockout Cup in 2023, when they beat TS Galaxy in the shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

In the last two seasons, he reached the final of the MTN8 but fell to Orlando Pirates on both occasions. 

Barker also managed to help Stellenbosh reach the semi-final of the CAF Confederation Cup in the 2024/25 edition but fell, coincidentally, to Simba SC.

Barker is joining arguably the biggest team in Tanzania, alongside Young Africans SC, known for a massive following in the country.

They have won the Tanzanian Premier League 22 times, with the last crown coming in 2021, but since then, Yanga have been winning.

They have also won the Federation's Cup four times, and the Community Shield on 10 different occasions, with the most recent coming in 2021.  

Regionally, Wekundu wa Msimbazi have six Cecafa Club Championships, reached the final of the CAF Confederation Cup twice, in 1993 and 2024/25 campaigns.

In the Premier Soccer League, Stellenbosch have been struggling this season, partly because of losing some of their top players.  

Ismael Olivier Toure, Fawaaz Basadien (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Anicet Oura (IF Gnistan) are the players they sold in the off-season.

They brought in Vuyolwethu Andrieas (Diski), Siviwe Nkwali (Cape Town Spurs), Muzomuhle Khanyi (Hungry Lions), Thapelo Mokobodi (Marumo Gallants), and Turan Manafov (Kapaz).

It explains the struggles they have been having in the league. Barker leaves them just a position above the relegation zone after collecting just 12 points from 14 outings. They managed just three wins, as many draws, and eight losses. 

This season, Simba have played five league games where they have won four and lost just one, but things have not been good in the CAF Champions League, where they fell against Petro Atletico and Stade Malien respectively in their group.

Barker has to deliver on the continent and domestically as well to avoid being fired like his predecessor.