Khalil Ben Youssef picks former Upington boss Musa Nyatama as Durban City assistant after ‘excellent’ first meeting

Durban City head coach Khalil Ben Youssef says a single, highly impressive interview convinced him to appoint former Upington City boss Musa Nyatama as his first assistant for the new season, despite the pair not knowing each other personally beforehand.

Nyatama, who led Upington City to a seventh-place finish in last season’s Motsepe Foundation Championship, was one of several names shortlisted by Durban City. After holding talks with three or four candidates, Ben Youssef opted for the ex-midfielder, who returns to a club he once served with distinction in his playing days.

“Direct, I don’t know him, but I hear only good things about him,” Ben Youssef told the media this week. “I had a meeting with three or four coaches to discuss about the opportunity to be first assistant coach. I think the meeting that I had with him was a very good meeting. I feel he is someone who has a lot of knowledge and also bringing in someone who was head coach (is good).”

Nyatama back at familiar club

Nyatama is a familiar figure to the City support. During his playing career he was a key midfielder for the club when it competed under the name Maritzburg United, establishing himself as one of their influential performers.

He now returns in a different capacity, tasked with passing on his experience to a new generation as part of Ben Youssef’s backroom staff ahead of a campaign that will include continental competition.

Ben Youssef’s route to Durban City

Ben Youssef also outlined how his move to Durban City materialised after he parted ways with Kaizer Chiefs at the end of last season. The Tunisian coach revealed he held discussions with multiple clubs before choosing a project he believes offers both ambition and pressure.

“Finishing the season, I had some contact with three teams from the PSL and some teams from out of the PSL,” he said. “I had a chat with some of them and I think the project coming from the chairman (Farook Kadodia) and the confidence given to me was the most important thing. Also, the team playing in the Confederation Cup, so it’s big challenge.”

Ben Youssef has recent experience of the CAF Confederation Cup after reaching the group stage with Kaizer Chiefs alongside his then co-coach Cedric Kaze last term. Chiefs were knocked out on matchday six despite having led their group at an earlier stage.

Hunger for pressure and ambition

The chance to work at a club competing in Africa again was a key part of the appeal for Ben Youssef, but he stressed that Durban City’s domestic platform and expectations were just as important in his decision.

“I like working for a team where’s challenge, rather than working with a team without challenge, without any ambition,” he explained. “They won the Nedbank Cup and finished in the top eight, so I think it’s big pressure to make better, and for that I think it was the most important thing to join Durban City.”

The club’s recent Nedbank Cup triumph and top-eight league finish have raised the bar for the season ahead, with Ben Youssef and Nyatama tasked with improving on that success while navigating the demands of the CAF Confederation Cup.

Reunion with former co-coach

Ben Youssef’s first major test of the new campaign will bring a reunion with a familiar face. Durban City travel to Polokwane on Saturday to face Sekhukhune United at Seshego Stadium, where he will go up against his former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Kaze on the touchline.

The match will offer an early glimpse of how Ben Youssef and Nyatama intend to shape Durban City, as the club embarks on a season that combines domestic expectations with the added challenge of continental competition.