Rowan Fernandez will join Gavin Hunt’s technical staff at Durban City for the upcoming season, Sportswire has been informed.

Fernandez, who rose to prominence at Kaizer Chiefs, has been appointed as the club’s goalkeeper coach as Hunt assembles his new team.

The 47-year-old replaces Mfanafuthi Gwala, who served as the club’s goalkeeper coach last season during their successful promotion to the PSL top-flight under former coach Simo Dladla.

Hunt, who was recently released by SuperSport United (a club that no longer exists after selling its PSL status to Siwelele Football Club), is taking over from Dladla, who left to join AmaZulu as assistant coach.

Hunt, who has also coached Chiefs, is expected to arrive in Durban on Sunday and will be officially unveiled on Tuesday.

This isn’t the first time Fernandez has worked with Hunt. The former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper previously collaborated with Hunt during his first stint at SuperSport United, where they won the Nedbank Cup in the 2011/12 season, defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final at Orlando Stadium.

Fernandez from Springs in Jozi won two league titles with Chiefs before moving to German side Arminia Bielefeld in July 2007. He earned 21 caps for Bafana Bafana before retiring in 2015.

This will mark Fernandez’s third tenure as a goalkeeper coach in the PSL. He previously worked at Orlando Pirates from August 2015 to July 2017, serving under Eric Tinkler (37 Games), Kjell Jonevret (18 Games), Augusto Palacios (12 Games), and Muhsin Ertuğral (9 Games).

He also held the goalkeeping coach position at Maritzburg United from September 2020 to June 2022, working with Ernst Middendorp (59 Games) and Tinkler (5 Games).

This move is somewhat of a second stint with the club, as Durban City was rebranded from Maritzburg United at the start of last season after relocating from Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg to Chatsworth Stadium in Durban.

With Fernandez joining Hunt’s technical team, further additions are expected. Ernst Middendorp is reportedly being considered for a technical director role, having previously worked with Fernandez at Chiefs and Bielefeld.