South African tactician Steve Barker guided Tanzanian giants Simba SC to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Fufuni and into the semi-finals of the NMB Mapinduzi Cup on Monday evening.
The 58-year-old caught many by surprise after vacating his role at Stellenbosch FC where he had been in charge for close to a decade to take up the Simba job in mid-December.
The Reds of Msimbazi came into this encounter in a favourable position after a narrow 1-0 victory over Muembe Makumbi FC in their opening game, and had to grind hard for their progression to book their semis spot. Simba needed just a draw but went all out for the victory.
They fell behind as early as the 14th minute through Steven Mboni’s strike, but Barker’s charges drew matters level via Hussein Ally Mbegu’s equalizer in the 23rd minute.
With the tie looking to be heading for a stalemate, Alassane Maodo Kante stepped up to net a 91st minute winner.
The 10-team tournament concludes next Tuesday, January 13, with Barker and his troops still awaiting to see who they next face in the penultimate tie.
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