Steve Barker says Kariakoo Derby rivals Soweto clash in scale

Simba SC head coach Steve Barker believes the Kariakoo Derby between Simba SC and Young Africans SC is at least as significant as the Soweto Derby, and may be even bigger.

The long-standing rivalry, which began in 1935, is renewed at Uhuru Stadium in Tanzania this evening, with both sides entering the match in outstanding form.

Simba and Young Africans have each won their opening six league matches and are level on points. Barker’s Simba side are also unbeaten in their past 30 league games, including a run of 16 consecutive victories, while Yanga have gone 12 matches without defeat.

The fixture is one of the major games on the African continent and has attracted additional attention because both teams will be managed by South African coaches for the first time.

Barker’s opposite number at Yanga is also supported by a South African coaching and technical team, making the match a meeting involving coaching staff from the same country on both sides.

“These types of matches are exactly what we want to be playing for, children dreaming of playing the derby one day, it’s no difference for coaches,” Barker told the media.

“That’s the reason why I came to Tanzania to coach Simba Sports Club because it’s a club that is challenging to win league titles; it’s a team that is challenging on the continent.”

Barker said the scale of the contest was comparable with the meeting between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the two clubs whose rivalry forms South Africa’s Soweto Derby.

“Obviously when you play against your arch rivals like tomorrow in my opinion and maybe people back home in South Africa may not agree but I believe that this derby is as big as, if not bigger than, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates; this is a massive derby on the continent and it’s a privilege as a coach to be part of this.”

The Simba manager added that the presence of South African coaches on both technical teams had given the Salaam Derby another dimension.

“Obviously, it adds a little bit of extra spice that a lot of the coaching staff are South Africans same as Yanga; the coaching staff and technical team are from South Africa, so I think that adds an extra element to the match but it’s absolutely a privilege to be part of this tomorrow.”