Khalil Ben Youssef explains Durban City decision

Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has shed light on what convinced him to take over the reins at the KwaZulu-Natal outfit ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

The Tunisian mentor was installed as the Citizens' new boss last month, succeeding Pitso Dladla, who guided the club to a historic Nedbank Cup triumph last season.

He arrived at City on the heels of parting ways with Kaizer Chiefs, alongside co-coach Cedric Kaze in the previous campaign, helping Amakhosi finish third in the league.

The pair's exploits in the dugout saw the Glamour Boys secure a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup and qualify for the MTN8 for the first time since the 2022/23 term.

Now, both coaches are set for a new chapter in their respective careers, with Ben Youssef revealing that he rebuffed other suitors for Durban City, owing to the vision the club's hierarchy proposed.

“I think in the last few weeks of the PSL last season, I had some contacts from different teams, some of them out of the country and three of them were PSL teams,” said the 37-year-old tactician.

"But when I had contact with the chairman of Durban City and we had the first meeting, I think the idea was clear from him and the support was there. I feel like you can succeed at this kind of team because they know what they have, they know their targets.

"They are not a team that has nothing and they speak about winning the PSL or winning trophies while they don't have the facilities to win trophies. So from the beginning [I was convinced].

The former AS FAR second in command says his main objective is to steer the team to a top eight berth, and lift one of the five trophies they are set to compete for next term.

“We are in the top eight, we will try again next season to be in the top eight. We won the Nedbank Cup last season, so next season we will compete in five competitions and we will try to win one of these cups,” Ben Youssef added.

"And I think any coach can take the job because realistically, it's something [winning a trophy] that we can do.

Ben Youssef, interestingly, will begin his reign as City boss with a highly-anticipated tie against Kaze's Sekhukhune United at Seshego Stadium on Saturday, 01 August.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

Related teams and leagues

Durban City