“It’s A Tricky Result”: Ben Youssef Warns Durban City After Narrow CAF Debut Win
Despite the victory, Durban City coach Ben Youssef has warned that a 1-0 win over Rukinzo in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round tie is far from a safe result.
City made a winning start to their first-ever Confed Cup campaign after securing a narrow victory over the Burundian side at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.
The Citizens will face Rukinzo FC in the second leg in Burundi on Sunday, 13 September, with qualification for the Second Preliminary Round at stake.
The Citizens endured a difficult opening half as Rukinzo put them under pressure, with City struggling to retain possession and settle into the game.
The Burundian side also showed enough quality in attack to cause City problems during the first leg.
“It’s not a safe result. It’s a tricky result, so we need to prepare ourselves properly for the second game,” said Ben Youssef.
The technical staff will now focus on preparing the Citizens for the return leg, with the team needing to protect their advantage and secure qualification for the Second Preliminary Round.
“Our job as a technical staff is to prepare the players mentally, physically and tactically. The most important thing is that we have to be ready for the game,” said Ben Youssef.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach reflected on City’s difficult first half, with the Citizens unable to settle into their usual rhythm.
“We didn’t start well in the first half. We were rushing and lost a lot of possession, and the players looked under pressure. At half-time, we spoke to the players about keeping calm, playing our game and enjoying the football,” said Ben Youssef.
City came out stronger after the break and created a number of chances before taking the lead in the 66th minute.
The Citizens then held on to their advantage to keep a clean sheet and take a 1-0 lead into the second leg.
Ben Youssef was pleased with his team’s response after the break and highlighted the importance of the result.
“The second half was much better for us. We dominated the game, created a lot of chances, and managed to score. For us, the most important thing was to win and keep a clean sheet,” he said.
