Dladla And Hendricks Take Interim Charge After Badela Dismissal

Sportswire can confirm that Pitso Dladla and Achraf Hendricks will take charge of Durban City on an interim basis as the club continues its search for a new head coach.

City are currently without a coach after dismissing Sinethemba Badela on Monday, despite him having guided the side to the Nedbank Cup round of 16 following a penalty shoot-out victory over Chippa United at Chatsworth Stadium on Friday.

That match proved to be Badela’s final game in charge, bringing his short tenure to an end after just 44 days.

Badela was appointed on 26 December as Durban City head coach, replacing Gavin Hunt. However, after overseeing three matches — recording two wins and one defeat — the club decided to part ways with the former Mamelodi Sundowns DStv Diski Challenge coach.

The club stated that they required an experienced coach to steer the team through the remaining 13 league fixtures. Ironically, Hunt fitted that profile, having won four league titles and coached more than 1,000 matches in the PSL top flight.

Despite this, Hunt was also dismissed, with the club indicating that the direction he was taking did not align with their vision, describing his approach as outdated.

Dladla, who served as assistant coach during City’s promotion campaign last season, has previously acted as caretaker. After Hunt’s dismissal following a defeat to Orlando Pirates in December, Dladla led the team to an away victory over Orbit College before the season was paused for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Dladla will now work alongside Hendricks, the club’s DStv Diski Challenge coach, when Durban City host TS Galaxy at Chatsworth Stadium on Friday.