Durban City coach Khalil Ben Youssef believes his side can take encouragement from their performance against Sekhukhune United when they face Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarter-final on Saturday.
Durban City were beaten 1-0 by Sekhukhune in their league opener, but Ben Youssef felt the result did not reflect the effort of his players. The club will now travel to Orlando Amstel Arena for a 15:00 kick-off against the Buccaneers, knowing they face a significantly tougher challenge.
The former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach wants his team to reproduce the fighting spirit they showed against Babina Noko and turn a positive display into a result.
“The atmosphere inside the camp is very positive, the hospitality of old players to the new ones has been very good and we have a very good squad. There is a brotherhood and they help the new players,” Ben Youssef said.
He accepted that the opening defeat was disappointing but said the performance had given him reasons to be optimistic.
“I was happy with the performance of the players against Sekhukhune United. I know the results were not good, but it was the first match and there is still a lot to play and the results will come.”
Ben Youssef identified the final third as an area where Durban City must improve if they are to challenge Orlando Pirates. He is also encouraged by the return of several players who have been recovering from injury, believing their availability will provide greater depth and more tactical options.
“We discussed a lot about the final third with some players coming soon and I think the team will be better, playing five competitions with these new players, they will give us more solutions and they will help the team.”
Durban City are due to compete in five competitions this season: the Betway Premiership, MTN8, Carling Knockout, CAF Confederation and the Nedbank Cup.
That schedule is likely to place considerable demands on the squad, with matches potentially taking place every three days. Ben Youssef said the club would need to strengthen its playing resources to manage the workload and reduce the risk of injuries.
“We will have a situation where we will be playing every three days, so we need to make a rotation, you need to have a [bigger] squad and players who can play. So, if we don’t have players that we can rotate, then it will be difficult and a risk of injuries.
“We are working together every week we meet. We discuss everything, the difficulties we have and what we need for the team to improve to have more solutions.”
However, the coach acknowledged that Durban City’s recruitment plans are restricted by financial limitations. He said discussions with the club’s management were continuing as they searched for players who could be brought in within the available budget.
“We need to find players who are available, but we have a limited budget and we are not in a situation where we can bring any player.”
Victory over Orlando Pirates would give Durban City a place in the MTN8 semi-finals and provide an early boost as they begin a demanding campaign across domestic and continental competitions.
