Simba’s squad continues its preparations at Mo Simba Arena ahead of the first-leg clash against Equatorial Guinea’s 15 de Agosto, as they battle for a place in the CAF Champions League (CAFCL) group stage.
The match is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, at Uhuru Stadium, with 15 de Agosto playing as the home team.
Simba head coach Steve Barker has made it clear that the Msimbazi Reds’ strategy is to secure victory in the first leg to ease the pressure ahead of the return leg, scheduled for October 25.
This will be Simba’s first encounter with the Equatorial Guinea side, but it will not be Barker’s first time facing them.
Last season, while in charge of Stellenbosch, Barker led the South African side to eliminate 15 de Agosto at the same stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, winning 4-1 on aggregate.
Stellenbosch won the first leg 4-1 at home before being held to a goalless draw away in the second leg.
Although Simba do not know the club particularly well due to a lack of sufficient information, Barker says he has some insight into the type of team they are likely to face.
“Whenever you have played against a team before, things become a little easier because you already have an idea of the kind of team you are facing. You understand how they play and the challenges you might encounter, which helps you in your preparations.
“However, every season brings new challenges, and they have also changed some of their players, so you cannot rely on that experience alone.”
“We respect 15 de Agosto, and we know that to get the result we need, we must go onto the pitch well prepared both physically and mentally, while implementing our game plan, which we have been working on throughout our preparations,” he said.
