Durban City FC have reportedly dismissed head coach Khalil Ben Youssef after only three months in charge. The Tunisian coach, who arrived in June to lead the club's 2026/27 campaign, was informed of the decision following a poor start to the Betway Premiership season.
Ben Youssef oversaw Saturday morning's training session before the club's hierarchy moved to end his brief tenure. Several support staff members were also informed their services are no longer required. The primary catalyst was an underwhelming domestic return, with City collecting just seven points from their opening seven league fixtures. That record of one victory, four draws and two defeats leaves the team 10th in the Premier Soccer League standings, a full 13 points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The team's recent form has been a particular concern, with no wins in their last five league matches, a run that has seen them slip down the table.
A trend of impatience
The coach's final match was a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Milford FC last Sunday, a result emblematic of a side struggling to turn draws into wins. The club's leadership, aiming to establish themselves in the top flight, displayed a notable lack of patience barely a quarter of the way through the league schedule. Ben Youssef becomes the sixth coach to be relieved of duties at this early stage of the season. The decision was reportedly made after a review of the team's underlying stats, which highlighted a lack of attacking threat. Durban City have managed just four league goals this season, averaging only 0.57 goals per game, a key factor in their poor points return.
This move comes despite recent success in the CAF Confederation Cup, where Ben Youssef guided the KwaZulu-Natal outfit through preliminary hurdles. The hierarchy felt a change was necessary to salvage their season ambitions, seeking a manager who can find a clinical edge. The search for a replacement will now begin in earnest ahead of the next fixtures, a home match against third-placed Amazulu on 16 October. The new manager will need to quickly assess the available squad and address the goal-scoring issues that plagued Ben Youssef's tenure.
Before joining Durban City, Ben Youssef was a prominent figure in the Kaizer Chiefs setup, initially as an assistant before sharing head coaching responsibilities. His departure follows a trend of former Chiefs technical members struggling to replicate success at other domestic clubs. With the team having scored only four league goals while conceding five, the new manager's immediate task is clear. The club's data shows they have averaged just 4.2 shots on target per game, a figure that will need to improve significantly if their league position is to change.
Background and full detail: Goal.com
