sportskeeda
Durban City coach Khalil Ben Youssef shared his pride in his players for their outstanding performance, making history by progressing to the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
City achieved a 2-1 win against Rukinzo in the second leg of the first preliminary round in Burundi on Sunday, securing a 3-1 win on aggregate.
They will take on Port Louis from Mauritius, who progressed after defeating Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy with a 2-1 aggregate score.
In the second round of the Confederation Cup, they will be accompanied by another South African team, Kaizer Chiefs, who received a bye in the first round due to their superior ranking in the CAF coefficient.
“It was a strong performance across both legs. We grasped our objectives after the first leg, and the players executed them effectively in both matches,” Ben Youssef reflected.
“Competing at this venue brought forth a unique set of challenges. Adapting to the conditions, the environment, and the style of play was vital, and the players managed to do that exceptionally well.”
City is competing in this tournament for the first time after winning the national cup, the Nedbank Cup, last season.
“Our goal wasn’t to play defensively and protect our first-leg result. We aimed to attack, score, and secure the win, which we accomplished,” Ben Youssef added.
“When we led 2-0, we felt secure, but after they scored, we needed to stay composed. The players showcased great character to manage the situation and finish the match successfully.”
Durban City is set to face the Betway Premiership defending champions, Orlando Pirates, on Thursday, 17 September, at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
“This is a novel experience for the club. With each game and round, we are learning, and we must keep improving our performance,” concluded Ben Youssef.
“We are pleased to have advanced, but we anticipated this from ourselves. Now, we need to recuperate, head home, and gear up for the next challenge.”
