Simba head coach Steve Barker has challenged his players to improve their finishing after their 1-0 victory over Coastal Union in the NBC Premier League at Major General Isamuhyo Stadium on Thursday night.
The victory gave Simba another important three points, but Barker was far from satisfied with the way his players handled their chances in front of goal.
The South African coach said Simba created enough opportunities to score five or six goals but were let down by poor finishing.
“We could have scored five or six goals from the chances we created. We still have work to do on the training ground to ensure we convert such opportunities into goals in our upcoming matches,” Barker said after the game.
Barker believes Simba's attacking efficiency will improve as the squad continues to develop an understanding, particularly with the new arrivals settling into the team.
He identified Doumbia, Mgunda and Chilambo as players who are increasingly adapting to the demands of the team, with Chilambo earning particular praise for his performance.
The coach, however, said the immediate priority was not the margin of victory but maintaining Simba's winning momentum as the league campaign progresses.
“We will continue working and focus on winning the matches ahead of us,” he said.
For Coastal Union, head coach Fikiri Elias said the defeat exposed areas that need attention but praised his players for maintaining discipline and largely sticking to their tactical plan.
Elias said Simba's goal came after an individual mistake and poor communication between the goalkeeper and a defender.
“I congratulate my players because they worked hard to maintain their shape, discipline and team unity. The next task is to maintain that discipline while improving our ability to receive the ball and move forward more quickly,” Elias said.
He said Coastal Union are still building their squad and that regular competitive matches would be crucial in improving coordination and understanding among the players.
“As we play more matches, the players will continue to understand each other better. We believe every player will reach a good level and the team will continue to improve in the matches ahead,” Elias said.
The narrow victory underlined both sides of the evening's story: Simba have the attacking ability to create chances, but must become more clinical, while Coastal Union have shown organisational discipline but need to eliminate costly individual errors if they are to compete more effectively.