Durban City coach Ben Youssef admits job security depends on results

Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef says he knows his position is under pressure, but insists the club’s performance should only be properly assessed after 15 matches.

The Tunisian was speaking after Durban City’s 2-1 extra-time defeat by Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarter-finals at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. The result ended City’s hopes of making an early challenge for silverware, leaving Ben Youssef’s side to concentrate on the Betway Premiership.

Durban City’s next opportunity to respond comes against Golden Arrows next Wednesday, before they face another KwaZulu-Natal opponent, Richards Bay, at the weekend.

Ben Youssef acknowledged that coaches are always vulnerable when results fail to meet expectations, particularly while working with a squad that is still being assembled under a new technical team.

“As a new coach, you don’t open all of your luggage, you keep it ready (to go) and that’s a part of our job because we’re always at risk,” he said.

However, the coach said he and the club’s board had already agreed on a specific period in which to judge the team’s progress. That arrangement gives him a defined target, including a points requirement, while City continue to build their squad.

“The conversation with the board was we would do a proper analysis after 15 games and that’s a mandate we agreed on and there’s a certain number of points we need to achieve as well.”

Ben Youssey also argued that it would be premature to draw firm conclusions about Durban City’s capabilities because the squad is not yet complete. He expects at least three more players to join during the next two weeks, with some due to be registered next week.

“There are three or more players that still need to join the team in the next two weeks and some will be registered next week and so when we have the entire team ready and the fitness is also proper then we can judge the team.”

Despite those circumstances, Ben Youssef accepts that the immediate priority is to collect points. Durban City have little time to recover from the MTN8 disappointment before returning to league action against Golden Arrows.

The coach said the pressure on him would inevitably intensify if the results do not improve, and made clear that he would not use the unfinished squad as an excuse.

“But as coaches we don’t make excuses, we continue to work and next week we have two more crucial games and only results can help you keep your job.”

The next two weeks could therefore be important for both Durban City and their coach as they attempt to establish momentum in the top flight. Although the 15-match review offers Ben Youssef time to develop his team, the points collected in the meantime will remain the clearest measure of his progress.

City must now turn their attention from the MTN8 exit to Golden Arrows, followed by their meeting with Richards Bay, with Ben Youssef’s message straightforward: the squad may still be taking shape, but results are required.