Simba are reported to be in talks with DR Congo striker Bedia Ikamba, who plays for Uganda’s Police FC and has shown an impressive goal-scoring touch—arguably even more prolific than Ugandan striker Steven Mukwala.
Reports from Uganda indicate that a senior Simba official is the one holding discussions with Ikamba, and the striker’s file has now been submitted to head coach Steve Barker, who is expected to give the final decision.
Ikamba is currently the joint top scorer in the Ugandan Premier League with six goals, level with Patrick Kadu of Kitara FC and Muhammad Ssenoga of Express FC.
“There is that striker Simba are talking to—I’m not sure if they have finalized the deal yet—but he is a good striker and if they manage to sign him, he will help them,” said a former Simba coach from Uganda.
“A senior official (he mentioned his name) called me and asked me to look for the player’s representatives. I already introduced them, and now I have left them to continue on their own,” the source added.
Simba’s move to look for a new striker follows an initial report from coach Barker, who is not fully satisfied with some of the forwards currently in his squad.
Sources from Simba say Barker is giving one striker, including Seleman Mwalimu, some leeway as he wants to further assess his quality, but he has raised concerns about the performance levels of other attackers.
Barker also acknowledges Jonathan Sowah’s statistics but wants to work on developing him to be calmer and more effective inside the danger area, rather than relying on runs away from goal.
In addition to a striker, Simba are also searching for a quality central defender, with plans for him to partner Rushine De Reuck, whose performances have impressed both coaches and club officials.
Simba are also considering offering Rushine a contract extension to keep him at the club, and are now looking to add the role of vice-captain as an incentive to persuade him to sign a new deal.
