Khalil Ben Youssef sets sights on top-eight return with evolving Durban City style

Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef says his reshaped tactical approach is designed to secure a second successive top-eight finish in the Betway Premiership as the club prepares for its sophomore season in South Africa’s top flight.

The KwaZulu-Natal side impressed on debut in the Premiership last term and, rather than ripping up that blueprint, Ben Youssef is intent on refining it. The Tunisian coach believes the platform laid by former bosses Gavin Hunt and Pitso Dladla has allowed him to push the team towards a more expansive game without losing their defensive resilience.

Ben Youssef, who took charge ahead of the new campaign, is clear that the club’s first priority was to preserve the solidity that underpinned last season’s success.

“I think, defensively, the team was already performing well, so we wanted to keep that defensive organisation and everything they were doing last season,” he said.

“We have only tried to make a few adjustments and add more ideas in attack. We want the team to keep the ball more, play a more offensive style, and improve how we build attacks, progress through the middle, and organise ourselves in possession.”

Building on Hunt and Dladla’s foundations

Durban City’s swift adaptation to top-flight football has given Ben Youssef a squad he feels is already well-versed in tactical discipline and the physical demands of the Premiership.

He was keen to highlight the role of Hunt and Dladla in shaping the group he inherited, stressing that their work has made his transition smoother and enabled him to focus on evolution rather than repair.

“I found a team that was already tactically prepared, with a lot of good ideas in place. Congratulations to them because they made our job much easier,” he said.

That existing framework has allowed Ben Youssef to concentrate on enhancing the team’s attacking patterns, with particular emphasis on controlled possession and progression through central areas, rather than relying solely on transitions or direct play.

Gradual shift towards possession game

Pre-season has been used to embed a more patient, ball-oriented style, but Ben Youssef has warned that the shift cannot be rushed. While signs of progress have encouraged him, he is realistic about how long it will take for his ideas to become second nature to the players.

“The team is starting to understand more about our playing model and the new system that we are trying to implement. But it’s important that we continue to improve step by step. You can’t expect to change everything in just three weeks or a month,” he explained.

“It will be a little difficult for the players at the beginning, but I’m confident in the work we are doing. In the end, we want to achieve our objectives, and our goal is to finish in the top eight.”

Durban City’s emphasis this season will therefore be on marrying last year’s organisation with a bolder attacking identity. For Ben Youssef, success will be measured not only by results but by whether that stylistic shift can be achieved without undermining the defensive base that carried the club into the upper half of the table on their first attempt.

With ambitions clearly set on another top-eight finish, the coming Betway Premiership campaign will test how quickly Durban City can turn their tactical evolution into consistent performances against more established top-flight rivals.