Simba head coach Steve Barker says his team is ready for the highly anticipated Kariakoo Derby against Yanga in the NBC Tanzania Premier League on October 10 at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Barker made the remarks during Simba’s ongoing training camp in South Africa, where the team is preparing for one of the biggest fixtures on the domestic football calendar.
He said the derby would require a different approach from both teams because of the intensity of the rivalry and the tactical demands involved.
“This match against Yanga is a mental battle, and we have prepared better than we did for the Community Shield so that we can perform well,” Barker said.
The South African coach said the outcome would depend largely on how well each side prepares tactically and responds to the opponent’s approach during the match.
He added that the derby has attracted increased attention because both Simba and Yanga have made strong starts to the league season.
According to Barker, both sides have won their opening six league matches, meaning the Kariakoo Derby will be their seventh league game of the campaign, with each team seeking to maintain its winning run.
The form of the two clubs has raised expectations ahead of the clash, with supporters and football followers across Tanzania expected to closely follow the match.
Barker said his main concern was ensuring Simba secured a positive result, adding that the team’s preparations in South Africa were focused on giving the players the best possible chance of performing well.
The coach said the technical team was using the training period to work on areas that could prove decisive against Yanga, as the two sides prepare for another chapter in one of Tanzania’s most closely watched football rivalries.
The October 10 encounter is expected to provide an early test of the two clubs’ ambitions in the league, with both teams entering the derby on the back of perfect starts.