Barker: Patience paid off

ZANZIBAR: SIMBA SC head coach, Steve Barker, admitted his side had to overcome early sloppiness before asserting their authority in a commanding 3-0 victory over hosts Mlandege FC in the Union Cup semifinal clash at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Sunday.

Zanzibar, Barker said a lack of precision in possession during the opening stages allowed Mlandege FC to remain competitive longer than expected.

“At times we gave the ball away too easily,” Barker said. “The second half really showed our quality; we took our chances and controlled the game well.”

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Simba’s path to the final was not straightforward.

They dominated possession in a balanced first half but struggled to break down a disciplined Mlandege defence, with Barker conceding his players needed greater patience.

“The first half laid the foundation, even if we needed a bit more patience on the ball,” he added.

The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Seleman Mwalimu finished off a well-worked move to open the scoring and shift momentum in Simba’s favour.

Forced to chase the game, Mlandege began to leave spaces, which Simba exploited effectively.

Anicet Oura doubled the lead in the 76th minute with a composed finish following a fluid attacking move, before Neo Maema sealed the result with a third goal in the 89th minute. Barker said the opening goal proved decisive in shaping the contest.

“Once you score the first goal, it forces the opposition to open up, and that creates opportunities,” he said.

“We used the space well after the breakthrough and were clinical in front of goal.”

He also credited Mlandege for their resilience in the first half. “Credit to the opposition, they defended well and made it difficult for us,” he noted.

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Simba will now turn their focus to the final, where they are expected to face arch-rivals Young Africans in what promises to be another high-stake encounter.

Mlandege head coach Hassan Ramadhan, meanwhile, acknowledged that his side’s slow start and costly mistakes proved decisive.

“We accept the result. We made too many mistakes and were punished. The most important thing now is to wish them well in the final,” he said.

Ramadhan added that psychological pressure may have affected his players, despite solid preparations.

“We prepared well, but from the first half the players seemed to play with fear, perhaps influenced by prematch talk,” he said.

He also pointed to external narratives surrounding the fixture as a possible factor.

“There was a lot said before the match, and I think it affected the players,” he explained. However, he conceded Simba were the better side on the day.

“To be honest, we were outplayed. Simba showed real intent and played very good football,” he admitted. Ramadhan said the defeat would serve as a valuable lesson.

“We have learned a lot. We will continue working hard, that is the way forward,” he said.