Simba have quickly shifted their focus to their second NBC Premier League match against Pamba Jiji after opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Kagera Sugar on Sunday.
The Msimbazi giants will face Pamba Jiji on August 19 at CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza, with head coach Steve Barker warning that the encounter will demand a higher level of preparation from his players.
Simba made a strong start to the season at Kaitaba Stadium, collecting maximum points against Kagera Sugar to set an early positive tone for their league campaign.
But Barker said the result alone was not enough, acknowledging that his side still had areas to improve before the Mwanza clash.
“We are pleased with the result because it was important to start the league with a win. We want to remain among the teams competing at the top, so we must continue working hard to get good results in the matches ahead,” Barker said.
The South African coach said Pamba Jiji would provide a different challenge, given the quality and competitiveness of the league, and called for greater concentration from his players.
He said the technical bench would use training sessions to correct mistakes identified in the opening match and improve the team’s performance ahead of the trip to Mwanza.
The victory over Kagera Sugar gives Simba three points from their opening match, but Barker is already looking beyond the result as he seeks to build a team capable of sustaining a strong title challenge.
For Kagera Sugar, coach Juma Kaseja said individual mistakes had contributed to the defeat, but praised his players for their fighting spirit against a Simba side packed with quality.
Kaseja said his team created a competitive contest despite facing one of the league’s traditional giants and urged his players to learn from the mistakes made in the match.
“We are now returning to the training ground to prepare for our upcoming matches and work towards securing positive results,” Kaseja said.
Simba will now have little time to dwell on their opening victory as they prepare for Pamba Jiji, with another three points their immediate target as the league campaign gathers pace.
