Dladla Vows To Make Chatsworth “Living Nightmare” For Rivals
Durban City coach Pitso Dladla has vowed to maintain the club’s stronghold at Chatsworth Stadium, promising to make the venue “terrible” for visiting teams as they prepare for a high-stakes run after the FIFA international break.
The “Citizens” will have their resolve tested to the limit on 7 April, when they host second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns in a Betway Premiership clash. The Brazilians arrive in Durban hunting an unprecedented ninth consecutive league title, but they face a City side that has turned Chatsworth into a no-go zone for opponents.
City extended their unbeaten run at the venue this past weekend with a 1-0 victory over Richards Bay in the KwaZulu-Natal Derby, courtesy of a lone strike from Samkelo Maseko.
The Chatsworth Advantage
While Durban City has technically lost two “home” matches this season, both defeats—against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates—took place at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Those fixtures were moved due to safety concerns regarding the massive crowds the Soweto giants attract, which Chatsworth Stadium is not equipped to handle.
“We want to make this field a terrible place to play against us. Our goal is to keep collecting points here, and that is exactly what we have been doing,” said Dladla. Since taking over as caretaker coach, Dladla has lost only one match. “If you look at our record, we lost two games at Moses Mabhida, but here [at Chatsworth], we remain undefeated.”
Chasing History and Safety
History favors the visitors, however. The last time Durban City (then playing as Maritzburg United) defeated Sundowns was in March 2022. That victory marked the debut of Ernst Middendorp, who recently vacated his role as the club’s technical director.
Despite their history, City’s current form is remarkable. The win over the “Natal Rich Boyz” moved them to fifth in the table with 35 points after 22 matches—an impressive haul for a side promoted from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the start of the season.
A Defining April
Before the league showdown with Sundowns, Durban City faces another massive test at Chatsworth on 4 April: a Nedbank Cup semi-final against giant-killers Casric Stars. Stars have already claimed the scalps of Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu, but Dladla knows that maintaining their home record will secure a historic spot in the final.
Furthermore, a win over Sundowns on 7 April would see them mathematically close to guarantee City’s top-flight survival—a massive achievement for a club many pundits tipped for relegation at the start of the campaign.
