Mass Exodus At Stellies To Join Barker In Tanzania
Coach Steve Barker will not be leaving Stellenbosch FC alone as he joins Tanzanian giants Simba SC, with four members of his technical team also expected to make the move.
The staff members likely to depart alongside Barker are assistant coaches Wesley Sergel and Evangelos Vellios, goalkeeper coach Pernell McKop, and physiotherapist Stephanus de Klerk.
Their departure would mean that whoever succeeds Barker at Stellenbosch will effectively have to start from scratch and assemble a completely new technical team.
Late on Friday, Simba confirmed Barker’s appointment as their new head coach in what came as a major shock move in the PSL. The former University of Pretoria and AmaZulu coach has signed a two-year contract with the Tanzanian club.
Barker replaces Bulgarian coach Dimitar Pantev, whose contract was terminated due to the team’s unsatisfactory performances. Pantev had earlier taken over from fellow South African Fadlu Davids, who left Simba to join Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca.
Simba had first-hand exposure to Barker’s coaching abilities when they faced Stellenbosch in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup. The Tanzanian side, then coached by Davids, eliminated Stellenbosch in the semi-finals before going on to lose the final to Morocco’s RS Berkane.
In a statement, Simba confirmed Barker’s appointment, saying:
“The club’s board has reached an agreement to appoint Steve Robert Barker as the head coach of our team for a period of two years.
“Barker (57), a South African citizen, has joined our squad from Stellenbosch FC. He holds an A Licence from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as well as an A Licence from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
“He replaces General Manager Dimitar Pantev, a Bulgarian citizen whose contract was terminated last month due to unsatisfactory team performance.
“In addition to his time at Stellenbosch, Barker has previously coached Black Aces FC, AmaZulu FC and the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
“During the 2023/24 season, he led Stellenbosch to Carling Knockout Cup glory, while the 2024/25 campaign saw the club reach the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.
“Barker will arrive in the country with his four assistants in the coming days.”
Barker departs Stellenbosch as one of the longest-serving coaches in the PSL, having been at the helm since July 2017. He guided the club to promotion to the top flight in the 2018/19 season and oversaw their steady growth in the Premiership.
Under his leadership, Stellenbosch reached the MTN8 final in consecutive seasons, though they were beaten by Orlando Pirates on both occasions. The club also finished third in the league in the last two campaigns, earning qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup.
Barker leaves Stellenbosch having reached the group stages of the competition this season. However, his successor will inherit a challenging situation, with the club currently lying 14th on the log with 12 points from 14 matches.
