Career
He guided the South African national team to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996. Barker currently manages Mpumalanga Black Aces in the Premier Soccer League. Player
Barker was a professional football player in the 1960s, playing for Durban City and Durban United having made his debut at the age of 17.
He had a trial with Leicester City, but a serious knee injury quickly ended his career.
Manager
"The Dog", as he is nicknamed, became a manager in the 1970s, coaching numerous clubs in South Africa, including Durban City, Manning Rangers, AmaZulu (Zulu Royals) and Santos Cape Town. He was one of the first white managers in the South African league.
He took over as manager of the South Africa national football team in 1994. He took the South African national team to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996, with a 2-0 victory in the final against Tunisia.
Under his guidance South Africa qualified for their first ever World Cup in 1998 in France.
Before they could compete in the World Cup finals though, he quit due to a series of losses. Barker was appointed manager of Bidvest Wits in January 2013.