Durban City FC Diski Challenge head coach Daine Klate has discussed his vision for the club’s reserve side following his recent appointment.
After attaining promotion to the PSL top-flight, Durban City announced a new technical setup within their structures. As part of the new setup, Klate was appointed to coach the club’s Under-23 reserve team, competing in the DStv Diski Challenge [DDC].
Durban City dismantled their previous DDC team following their relegation in 2023, when the team was still known as Maritzburg United. Fast forward to the current season, and the newly promoted side was tasked with an obligation to reassemble a new team.
With the new season kicking off this weekend, the former SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates winger has shared an update on his new team’s progress in preparation.
“Yeah, the preps have gone okay. I think we have obviously started from ground zero in terms of building a new team, but we did probably two to three weeks of assessments and put a team together,” he revealed.
The former Chippa DDC coach further unpacked, stating, “So, of course, I only had probably one week of really trying to build team chemistry and trying to get the team ready tactically, you know, then structure with and without the ball.”
KLATE HAILS DDC LEAGUE
Since its inception in the 2014/15 season, the DDC has grown in leaps and bounds. The PSL reserve league has produced numerous talents and South African exports who have gone on to represent the country on the world’s biggest football stages.
In expounding on his new role in South African football, Klate stressed the significance of the DDC, which has consistently birthed new and exciting talent for over a decade.
“If we look at the PSL now from the last five or six years, I think there are a lot of players that have been produced from the Diski league into the PSL setup. So, in terms of development, I think yeah, the DDC league has definitely brought something different in terms of players getting promoted to senior team football,” said the former Orlando Pirates midfielder.
Klate is no stranger to the DDC league, having taken charge of the Chippa United reserve team from 2019 to 2022, his first coaching gig after retirement. He further discussed his coaching objectives at Durban City.
“We will try and progress and try to improve as best as we can as we go along. Like I said, you know, for some of them it is going be the first time they play on TV, for example, so there are certain factors and dynamics that I have to take care of as a coach to try and motivate these boys and get them ready for the game.”
Durban City kicked off their DDC campaign on Saturday with a 3-3 draw against Pirates at the Mpumalanga Stadium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
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