Durban City boss Ben Youssef backs referee Chavani after MTN8 defeat

Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has described Jelly Chavani as one of the best referees in South African football after his side’s dramatic 2-1 defeat by Orlando Pirates in the MTN8.

Pirates secured victory with a stunning goal from substitute Giamphani Lungu in the 120th minute, ending a match in which the reigning Nedbank Cup champions had played for more than an hour with 10 men.

Despite the result, Ben Youssef praised Chavani’s handling of the contest and said he had no immediate concerns about the key decisions made by the referee.

The disputed moment came when Brooklyn Poggenpoel was shown a second yellow card for the foul that resulted in the penalty which gave Pirates the lead. The decision was debated because the penalty had already been awarded, while Yanela Mbuthuma was not in control of the ball at the time of the challenge.

Some felt Poggenpoel could have avoided a booking in those circumstances, but Ben Youssef said he was satisfied with the referee’s performance.

“Congratulations to the referee he’s one of the best I have seen, I’ve been here in two years, he managed the game very well, I have to look back at the incident again, but the referee had a good game,” he said when asked about the penalty by iDiski Times.

The Durban City manager, who previously worked as a co-coach at Kaizer Chiefs, also confirmed that midfielder Kyle Jurgens missed the match through suspension.

“Kyle he is just suspended, he will be back soon next game.”

Jurgens’ absence was therefore disciplinary rather than injury-related, with Ben Youssef expecting the influential midfielder to return for the club’s next fixture.

Durban City will now switch their focus to the league following their MTN8 exit. Their next match will be at home against Golden Arrows, with the game scheduled to take place at Chatsworth Stadium.

The defeat was particularly painful because City had pushed Orlando Pirates to extra time despite the numerical disadvantage faced by the reigning Nedbank Cup champions for much of the match. Lungu’s late intervention ultimately settled the tie, leaving Durban City to concentrate on their league campaign.

Ben Youssef’s comments mean the referee’s decisions will not be used by the City coach to explain the loss. Instead, he acknowledged the quality of Chavani’s performance while accepting that he would need to review the penalty incident again before reaching a final view on the dismissal.

For now, the focus at Durban City turns to their response in the league, beginning with the meeting with Golden Arrows at Chatsworth Stadium.