Ben Youssef on job pressure: 'Keep your luggage ready'
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Durban City coach Khalil Ben Youssef. (Photo: Gallo Images)
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Ben Youssef on job pressure: 'Keep your luggage ready'
Aug 11, 2026 – 10:48 am
By Clifton Mabasa
Durban City coach Khalil Ben Youssef has opened up on the pressure that comes with his job after the club’s MTN8 exit at the hands of Orlando Pirates.
The Citizens were knocked out of the competition after a gruelling 2-1 defeat to Pirates following 120 minutes at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
READ | PSL coach targets Pirates for redemption after ‘bitter’ defeat
City were forced to play 85 minutes with 10 men after Brooklyn Poggenpoel was shown a red card, but they managed to stay in the contest before eventually conceding the decisive goal in the dying minutes.
The defeat was Ben Youssef’s second since taking charge, following a narrow 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United in the opening game of their Betway Premiership campaign.
The former Kaizer Chiefs co-coach, however, believes there is still plenty of work to be done before the new-look side can be properly assessed.
“I think as a coach, when you come to a new team, you don’t open your luggage, you keep your luggage always ready. That’s part of our job, we are always at risk,” Ben Youssef told journalists.
“I think the discussion with the board was to make the first proper analysis about the work after 15 games.
“There is a target that we put together inside. There is a number of points that we have to achieve.”
The Tunisian tactician also pointed to the fact that his squad is yet to be fully assembled, with several players still expected to join or be registered.
“Moving forward, when the team will be 100% ready, there are three or four players that will join the team,” explained Ben Youssef.
“These two weeks, there are some players that will be registered next week. So when we have all the squad ready and physically the team will be ready, then I think we can judge properly the team.
“But like I said, as a coach, we don’t have to put excuses. We have to continue to work. Next week we have two crucial games.
“Even if we played 120 minutes today, one man down, but we need to prepare the plan of the game in three days,” he added.
READ | More injuries? Da Cruz confirms injury setback for Chiefs duo
“We have to prepare our team physically first. The recuperation is something very important for us and the only result can keep your job.”
Ben Youssef’s next challenge comes on Wednesday when Durban City host Golden Arrows in a Betway Premiership clash.