Simba SC took to social media mid-week to confirm the development. Phiri joined the Msimbazi Street outfit in June 2022 while Baleke joined the outfit in January 2023.
The club has expressed regard to both forwards for their time and wished them luck in their future endeavours.
“It was a great time to have you in our team and now we say thank you very much. All the best in your new life outside Simba SC,” the side posted farewell posts for the players on its social media accounts.
Both players leave the club having helped the side win only one trophy- this season’s Community Shield mini tournament’s top honour the outfit won with a victory over Yanga at CCM Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga.
Phiri hit the ground running for Simba SC before suffering an injury in December 2022 and, since then, failed to fully return to his previous form hence finding game time hard to come by. The goal-getter mostly secured cameo appearances from the bench.
In his first four months at Simba SC, Phiri managed to score 10 goals in 17 league games and was the second leading goal scorer in the league- only being surpassed by Congolese Fiston Mayele, who was turning out for Yanga and had netted 14 goals.
Phiri also managed to score five goals in this season’s CAF Champions League- helping Simba SC book a place in the Group Stage.
It is not clear yet if the former Buildcon FC captain will either return to Zambia’s MTN Super League or continue his adventure outside the country.
The Guardian though understands he is on the verge of joining the MTN Super League’s other club, Power Dynamos.
Before his move to Simba SC, Phiri scored 14 goals in the Zambian Premier League while turning out for Zanaco FC in 2021/22, the goal-getter was trailing Ricky Banda who netted 16 goals.
Phiri won the 2020/21 FAZ Super Division Golden Boot with 17 goals- helping Zanaco FC qualify for continental football.
As for Baleke, he is reportedly making his way back to his parent club TP Mazembe, before searching for another team to finish the second half of the season.
Baleke's exit has shocked most Simba SC lovers as he leaves the club as a top goal scorer with eight goals from nine games this season.
He has overall played six months of each season at the club since his arrival during last season’s mini-transfer window.
Last season he scored the same number of goals from nine matches, he has played 18 games in the NBC Premier League, scoring 16 goals with 69 minutes per goal, one assist, and 17 goal contributions.
This season he has played six games in the CAF Champions League without scoring a goal from the Second Preliminary Round (two games).
Baleke thereafter honoured four matches in the Group Stage, with his side battling it out in the showdown's Group B.
Last season he scored four goals in the CAF Champions League, scoring three in the Group Stage and later notching one in the quarterfinals' tie against Morocco's Wydad Casablanca.
It is understood that Beleke did not suit Simba SC's head coach Abdelhak Benchikha's style of play- leading to his exit.
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
