Simba SC head coach, Steve Barker, has admitted that there are areas that need improvement after his team lost 1-0 to Yanga SC in the Community Shield match played on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the New Amaan Complex Stadium in Zanzibar.
Simba lost the match after Yanga scored the only goal through Albert Kangwanda in the 31st minute, heading in from a cross delivered by left-back Chadrack Boka.
That goal was enough to give Yanga victory and allowed them to defend the Community Shield title for the second consecutive time, while Simba failed to reclaim the title they last won in 2023.
Speaking after the match, Barker admitted that the result has highlighted areas Simba must work on before the official start of the 2026/27 NBC Premier League season.
The South African coach is now expected to use the match as a benchmark to evaluate his squad, especially in areas that showed weaknesses during the first competitive match of the season.
On the other hand, the victory has continued to give Yanga a huge morale boost heading into the new season, with coach Manqoba Mngqithi emerging victorious in the first showdown against Barker.
The match was also historic as it brought together for the first time the two South African coaches on the benches of Tanzania's two biggest clubs.
For Yanga, the victory extended their dominance in the Community Shield, while for Simba , the defeat served as an early warning that there is still work to be done before the NBC Premier League title race begins.
Simba will need to fix the weaknesses exposed against Yanga and ensure the squad is ready for the new season's schedule, which is expected to be highly competitive.