{"id":150885,"date":"2026-04-15T15:45:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/tanzania\/all-news\/barker-every-player-matters"},"modified":"2026-04-15T16:58:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T16:58:25","slug":"barker-every-player-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/tanzania\/all-news\/barker-every-player-matters","title":{"rendered":"Barker: every Player Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"ap-article-header-tag\"> <strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Tanzania. <\/strong> <\/span>SIMBA Head Coach Steve Barker has underscored the importance of squad depth ahead of today\u2019s Mainland Premier League clash against Fountain Gate FC, as his side contend with key absences.<\/p>\n<p>Barker faces a selection headache at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium with veteran defender Shomari Kapombe and midfielder Yusuph Kagoma both ruled out after accumulating three yellow cards. However, the South African tactician believes this is the moment for his squad depth to shine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe in the entire group. Every player matters,\u201d Barker told reporters during his pre-match briefing. \u201cMatches like this are exactly why you build a deep squad. It\u2019s an opportunity for others to step up, show their quality and make an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simba currently occupy second place in the standings with 36 points from 17 matches. While they trail arch-rivals Young Africans by eight points, Barker\u2019s side holds a crucial game in hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always a setback when they are unavailable, but whoever plays will be fully committed to the badge and will contribute to the team and the country. You don\u2019t win titles with just 11 players, you win them with the whole group,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>With Simba trailing by eight points in the title race, Barker admitted the challenge ahead but insisted his side must focus on immediate results.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlaying catch-up is never easy, but having a game in hand only counts if you win it. So, we must take maximum points tomorrow and follow that up with another positive result at the weekend,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Barker further highlighted the importance of building momentum ahead of a potentially decisive derby clash scheduled for early May, noting that consistent victories could put Simba within touching distance of their rivals.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, off the pitch, Simba\u2019s Media and Communication Manager, Ahmed Ally, confirmed disciplinary action involving striker Jonathan Sowah.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSowah was suspended ahead of Simba SC\u2019s match against Dodoma Jiji. During his suspension, he appeared before the disciplinary committee, where some allegations were confirmed,\u201d Ally explained.<\/p>\n<p>Following the hearing, the player was found guilty of misconduct and has been handed a punishment that includes training with the club\u2019s under-20 side. The decision took immediate effect, with the club set to monitor his behaviour before considering a return to the senior squad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-article-footer-note\">Find more news and analyses on <span class=\"ap-highlight-country\">Tanzania<\/span> on the <span class=\"ap-highlight-brand\">Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Tanzania. SIMBA Head Coach Steve Barker has underscored the importance of squad depth ahead of today\u2019s Mainland Premier League clash against Fountain Gate FC, as his side contend with key absences. Barker faces a selection headache at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium with veteran defender Shomari Kapombe and midfielder Yusuph Kagoma both [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":150884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17],"tags":[711],"class_list":["post-150885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-tanzania"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Barker: every Player Matters - Tanzania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag&quot;&gt; Africa-Press - Tanzania. 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