Durban City FC head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has opened up on the mounting pressure in the hot seat at the KZN-based side after suffering two successive defeats in the opening matches of the 2026/27 season.
Ben Youssef took over the coaching job at Durban City in the off-season, taking the responsibility to help the club continue their growth in the Betway Premiership after gaining promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the start of last season.
The Tunisian mentor was appointed as the head coach of Durban City after parting ways with Kaizer Chiefs, where he served as co-coach alongside Cedric Kaze.
After Kaze and Ben Youssef spent the previous campaign leading Amakhosi, they were shown the exit door at the end of the 2025/26 season, having missed out on all trophies on offer.
Ben Youssef wasted no time in landing another job after taking the reins at Durban City to replace Pitso Dladla, who parted ways with the club despite winning the 2026 Nedbank Cup.
The 37-year-old has had a turbulent start to his tenure as the coach of Durban City after failing to register a win in his two matches so far. Durban City suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership before crashing out of the MTN8 quarter-final with a 2-1 defeat against Orlando Pirates.
KHALIL BEN YOUSSEF ADDRESSES PRESSURE AT DURBAN CITY
Speaking after the MTN8 tie, Khalil Ben Youssef insinuated that he’s prepared to lose his job. “I think when you come to a team, you don’t open your luggage; you keep your luggage ready [to leave], that’s part of our job,” Ben Youssef said.
“We are always at risk; the conversation with the board is to make a proper analysis of the work after 15 games. There is a target that we put together; there is a number of points that we need to achieve.
“Moving forward, when the team is 100% ready, there are a few players that will join the team in the next two weeks, and some players will be registered next week.
“So when we have the squad ready physically, then we can judge the team properly, but like I said, as a coach we don’t have to put excuses; we have to continue to work”
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