After returning to Dar es Salaam from South Africa, where they held a 10-day training camp, the Simba squad is expected to enter camp today for final preparations ahead of the Kariakoo Derby against Yanga, scheduled for Saturday, October 10.
The South Africa camp was an important part of Simba’s preparations for the highly anticipated clash, with the technical bench using the period to continue building the players’ physical, tactical and mental readiness.
As the highly anticipated derby approaches, Simba head coach Steve Barker has outlined the areas he believes could be crucial in determining the outcome, stressing defensive solidity without the ball, composure in possession and making effective use of chances.
Barker has stressed that the Kariakoo Derby is not a game to approach with haste, but one that requires a high level of discipline and concentration at every stage because of the pressure and intensity surrounding the fixture.
Barker Emphasises Solidity Without the Ball
The first area the coach has highlighted is how Simba will remain solid when they do not have possession.
Barker said that in a major fixture such as the Kariakoo Derby, a team can be punished quickly for even a minor mistake, and has therefore urged his players to remain alert in protecting their positions and preventing Yanga from finding spaces from which to launch attacks.
“We have to be more careful when we don’t have the ball. I don’t want to see simple mistakes that could cost us because in a big game like this, sometimes one mistake can decide the result,” Barker said.
Composure and Ball Possession
Another area Barker has placed at the centre of his plans is composure and ball possession.
The coach wants Simba to play with confidence even when under pressure, stressing that the players should not make rushed decisions because of the intensity of the match.
Instead, he wants his team to use possession as a weapon to control the game, slow down the opponent and create chances at the right moments.
With that approach, Simba will need to remain composed when building attacks from the back, while the midfielders will have an important role in ensuring the team does not give the ball away cheaply and maintains control of the game.
Limited Chances Must Be Taken
Barker has also addressed an area that could prove crucial in determining the outcome of the derby: taking chances.
The coach wants his forwards to be more clinical when they reach the final third, recognising that matches of this nature often produce very few clear-cut opportunities.
“We know we won’t get many chances in this game, so when we get them, we have to be good enough to take them. That is something we have been working on consistently,” he said.
