Ben Youssef warns Durban City players they must be ready for pressure after MTN8 exit

Durban City coach Khalil Ben Youssef says the demands of football management mean he must always be prepared for the possibility of losing his job, following the club’s MTN8 elimination by Orlando Pirates.

The Citizens were beaten 2-1 by Pirates after 120 minutes at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. The result marked Ben Youssef’s second defeat since he took charge of the club, after City began their Betway Premiership campaign with a narrow 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United.

Despite the difficult start, the former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach believes it is too early to make a definitive assessment of his new-look squad.

“I think as a coach, when you come to a new team, you don’t open your luggage, you keep your luggage always ready. That’s part of our job, we are always at risk,” Ben Youssef told journalists.

City were reduced to 10 men for 85 minutes of their MTN8 quarter-final after Brooklyn Poggenpoel was sent off. They remained competitive for much of the contest, but conceded the decisive goal in the final stages of extra time.

Ben Youssef said his discussions with the club’s board had established that the team’s progress would be properly reviewed after 15 matches. He also confirmed that City have set an internal points target.

“I think the discussion with the board was to make the first proper analysis about the work after 15 games.

“There is a target that we put together inside. There is a number of points that we have to achieve.”

The Tunisian coach also stressed that the squad is not yet complete. Three or four players are still expected to join the team, while other members of the group are due to be registered next week.

“Moving forward, when the team will be 100% ready, there are three or four players that will join the team,” explained Ben Youssef.

“These two weeks, there are some players that will be registered next week. So when we have all the squad ready and physically the team will be ready, then I think we can judge properly the team.

“But like I said, as a coach, we don’t have to put excuses. We have to continue to work. Next week we have two crucial games.

“Even if we played 120 minutes today, one man down, but we need to prepare the plan of the game in three days,” he added.

The immediate focus for City is recovery. Ben Youssef said the physical condition of his players would be a priority after the gruelling match against Orlando Pirates, particularly with another fixture arriving within days.

“We have to prepare our team physically first. The recuperation is something very important for us and the only result can keep your job.”

Durban City’s next opportunity to improve their position comes on Wednesday, when they host Golden Arrows in a Betway Premiership fixture.