Eric Tinkler appointed Durban City head coach with top-eight target

Eric Tinkler has returned to South African football as the new head coach of Durban City, replacing Khalil Ben Youssef and targeting a top-eight finish in the Betway Premiership.

The appointment comes less than two weeks after IOL Sports reported that the former Bafana Bafana midfielder was one of the leading candidates to take over from Ben Youssef.

Tinkler became the frontrunner after leaving Ghanaian club Asante Kotoko last month. He asked to be released from his contract for personal reasons after only four Ghana Premier League matches.

His brief spell in Ghana produced one win, two draws and one defeat. He also led Asante Kotoko to victory over Hearts of Oak in the Democracy Cup.

The 55-year-old takes charge of a Durban City team that ended its association with Ben Youssef after seven Betway Premiership fixtures. The Tunisian coach recorded one win, four draws and two defeats during that run.

Ben Youssef also oversaw a 3-1 aggregate victory against Burundi club Rukinzo in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup. It was Durban City’s first campaign in African competition after they won last season’s Nedbank Cup.

Tinkler was part of the Bafana Bafana team that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. He has previously managed Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City and SuperSport United.

His most recent South African coaching role was at Sekhukhune United, where he was dismissed in April after failing to secure the club’s targeted top-three finish and domestic silverware.

The new Durban City coach is already familiar with club chairman Farook Kadodia, having previously worked with him at Maritzburg United. During that spell, Tinkler guided the team to the 2019 Telkom Knockout final.

“I’m excited to be part of what is being built here at Durban City FC,” Tinkler said. “The club is very ambitious, they have made positive strides in a short space of time, competing in the CAF Confederation Cup already, and that made my decision easy.”

On working with Kadodia again, he added: “The chairman is someone I’ve worked with before. When the opportunity presented itself to come back, I grabbed it with both hands.”

Tinkler said he did not intend to make major changes to a squad that enjoyed a successful 2025/26 campaign.

“I don’t want to make massive changes because last season the club was successful. It’s about giving others an opportunity and getting back to winning ways.”

His objectives include finishing in the top eight of the Betway Premiership, making a strong run in the CAF Confederation Cup and competing for the Carling Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup.

“There’s a lot to play for,” he said.

Tinkler will begin his tenure with a KZN derby against AmaZulu at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday next week, when league action resumes after the international break.