Khalil Ben Youssef outlines Durban City's top-eight ambition - 'It will be difficult, but I'm confident in the work we are doing'

Durban City are entering a new chapter under Khalil Ben Youssef after an impressive debut Premier Soccer League campaign.

The KwaZulu-Natal outfit exceeded expectations with their resilience last season finishing in the top eight and winning the Nedbank Cupto boot, and the new coach is eager to build on those winning foundations while implementing his own philosophy.

Speaking on the state of the squad he inherited, Ben Youssef emphasised the importance of continuity in their defensive structure.

"I think, defensively, the team was already performing well, so we wanted to keep that defensive organisation and everything they were doing last season," Ben Youssef said as per IOL.

While the defensive base remains, the primary objective of the pre-season has been to overhaul how the team behaves when in possession of the ball.

Ben Youssef wants his players to be more protagonists on the pitch, moving away from a purely reactive style to one where they control the tempo and dictate play through the middle.

The Tunisian coach detailed his specific tactical adjustments during the build-up to the new campaign, stating: "We have only tried to make a few adjustments and add more ideas in attack.

"We want the team to keep the ball more, play a more offensive style, and improve how we build attacks, progress through the middle, and organise ourselves in possession."

Ben Youssef believes the professional standards set by the previous coaching staff have shortened his own learning curve and allowed him to focus on higher-level tactical tweaks rather than basic discipline.

This humility has seemingly helped the squad buy into the new vision, as they look to prove that their initial top-flight success was no fluke.

"I found a team that was already tactically prepared, with a lot of good ideas in place. Congratulations to them because they made our job much easier."

"The team is starting to understand more about our playing model and the new system that we are trying to implement.

"But it's important that we continue to improve step by step.

"You can't expect to change everything in just three weeks or a month," he said.

Despite the optimism surrounding the new tactical direction, Ben Youssef is remaining pragmatic about the time it takes to perfect a new playing model.

He warned that the early stages of the season might see some growing pains as the squad fully internalises the complex movements required for a modern offensive system.

Reflecting on the challenges ahead, the coach highlighted the patience required for this project.

"It will be a little difficult for the players at the beginning, but I'm confident in the work we are doing," Ben Youssef explained.

"In the end, we want to achieve our objectives, and our goal is to finish in the top eight."

Durban open their PSL campaign against Sekhukhune on Saturdayand then turn their attentions to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 quarterfinals.