The former Mamelodi Sundowns duo of Neo Maema and Rushine De Reuck are once again facing instability at Tanzanian giants Simba SC, as the club announced the shock dismissal of head coach Dimitar Pantev and his two assistants after a mere 61 days in charge.
The two Bafana Bafana players, recruited by fellow South African Fadlu Davids, have now experienced the coaching merry-go-round firsthand at the Dar es Salaam club.
The 49-year-old Bulgarian coach only took the reins in October 2025, succeeding Davids, who reunited with Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca. His task was to stabilise Simba’s position both domestically and, more critically, in the CAF Champions League.
However, the continental stage proved to be his undoing. Simba’s underwhelming start to the CAF Champions’ League group stages. They suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat at home to Petro de Luanda, followed by a 2-1 loss away to Mali’s Stade Malien, leaving the club at the bottom of Group D with zero points.
The club’s hierarchy wasted no time, announcing on Tuesday that they had reached a mutual termination agreement with Pantev and his technical team. Assistant coach Selemani Matola will take over on an interim basis.
MAEMA & DE REUCK FACE SIMBA’S CHAOS
Pantev’s tenure, a blink-and-you-miss-it 61 days, is already one of the shortest in the club’s recent history. His overall competitive record stands at two wins, one draw, and two losses from five matches.
While the domestic campaign saw only one league victory against JKT Tanzania, it was the Champions League struggles that proved fatal. For the former Downs duo, this coaching change means another period of uncertainty. They were brought to Dar es Salaam by Davids, who had a clear vision for their role in the squad. Now, the two South African internationals must prove their value all over again to an incoming, yet-to-be-named coach.
Simba, currently seventh in the table, faces a crucial run of domestic fixtures without a permanent head coach. Wekundu Wa Msimbazi play against Mbeya City on Thursday. That match will be followed by the highly anticipated derby against Azam on Sunday.
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