OUR CITY, OUR TEAM!

BEN YOUSSEF TURNS FOCUS TO CAF CONFEDERATION CUP AFTER STELLENBOSCH DRAW

September 2, 2026

Durban City FC head coach Khalil Ben Youssef has turned his attention to the Club’s first-ever CAF Interclub fixture after the Citizens were held to a 0–0 draw by Stellenbosch FC at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The result gave City a second consecutive clean sheet, with Ben Youssef highlighting the team’s defensive improvement as one of the positives from the match.

“Looking at the positive points, it’s the second clean sheet. Defensively, the team is doing better and doing well,” said Ben Youssef.

The coach, however, acknowledged that City need to be more clinical in front of goal after creating several chances without finding the breakthrough. The goalless draw was the third consecutive home league match in which the Citizens have dominated large periods of the game without finding the back of the net.

“We have dominated all three games and created a lot of opportunities. Unfortunately, in the final third, the team has not been able to score, so we need to focus more on the final third. We need to analyse and find solutions. Like I said, it’s our job to find solutions,” he said.

With the Stellenbosch fixture now concluded, the focus shifts to the CAF Confederation Cup, where Durban City will begin their continental campaign against Rukinzo FC of Burundi in the First Preliminary Round. The match will mark the Club’s first appearance in CAF Interclub competition, with Ben Youssef stressing the responsibility that comes with representing South Africa on the continental stage.

“With this game behind us, we now need to focus on the Confederation Cup. We are representing the country, so we need to play well. It’s an important competition for the Club, and we want to make a good start,” said the coach.

City will host Rukinzo FC in the first leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, 6 September, with kick-off scheduled for 15h00.

Ben Youssef stressed the importance of making the home leg count before the return fixture in Burundi.

“The first game is very important because it’s a home game. We need to score, we need to win this game. Then, when we travel to Burundi, we’ll be in a better situation,” he added.

The Citizens now have the remainder of the week to prepare for their continental debut, with the technical team looking to build on the defensive progress shown in recent matches while improving City’s finishing in the final third.