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Durban City has officially announced the appointment of Eric Tinkler as the team's new head coach, replacing Khalil Ben Youssef. This occurred less than two weeks after the publication IOL Sports reported that the former midfielder for the Bafana Bafana national team was one of the main contenders for the position.

Tinkler became a favorite after leaving Ghanaian giant Asante Kotoko last month. He requested release from his contract for personal reasons after participating in only four matches in the Ghanaian Premier League.

His short spell in Ghana yielded one victory, two draws, and one defeat. Furthermore, he helped Kotoko secure a win against Hearts of Oak in the Democracy Cup.

The 55-year-old coach returned to South Africa to lead Durban City, which parted ways with Ben Youssef after seven matches of the Betway Premiership. The Tunisian specialist achieved one win, four draws, and two losses, but he also guided the City team past rivals from Burundi, Rukinzo, with a 3-1 aggregate score in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup—the first African tournament for the winners of the Nedbank Cup last season.

Tinkler, who holds the title of African Champion from 1996 with Bafana, previously worked with clubs Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City, and SuperSport United. His last club in South Africa was Sekhukhune United, where he was dismissed in April because he failed to ensure the team reached the top three and win domestic trophies.

He is also acquainted with Durban City chairman Farouk Kadodi, as he previously collaborated with him at Maritzburg United, where he helped the club reach the Telkom Cup final in 2019.

Tinkler expressed his enthusiasm, stating: 'I am happy to be part of what is being built at Durban City FC. The club is very ambitious; they have achieved positive results in a short time, already participating in the CAF Confederation Cup, and this made my decision easier.'

Emphasizing the resumption of cooperation with Kadodi, Tinkler added: 'The chairman is someone I have worked with before. When the opportunity arose to return, I took it with both hands.'

The coach stated that he does not plan to make radical changes to the squad, which had a successful 2025/26 season. He noted: 'I do not want to make large-scale changes because the club was successful last season. It is about giving chances to others and returning to victories.'

His goals are clearly defined: achieving eighth place in the Betway Premiership, performing strongly in the CAF Confederation Cup, and competing for the Carling Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup titles.

'There is much to fight for,' he commented.

Tinkler's first match in charge will take place in the KZN derby against AmaZulu at Chatsworth Stadium next Tuesday, when the league resumes after the international break.

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Sphelele Mkhulise, speaking to the press in Chulcrop in Midrand, prepared for the grand final against Orlando Pirates.

MTN8 Final

Mkhulise emphasized that despite the Buccaneers' dominance in the tournament in recent years, his team will never be considered an underdog. "Pirates" have won the cup four times in a row and are aiming for a fifth consecutive title when the teams meet at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Meanwhile, "Sundowns" has not won a trophy since 2021, but they enter the final confidently after a recent victory in the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup, where they defeated "Al Ahli Saudi" in the final.

Speaking to journalists at the "Sundowns" training base in Chulcrop on Wednesday, Mkhulise believes that the recent victory gives them an advantage ahead of the upcoming confrontation.

He stated: "Approaching this game, I think we have a kind of advantage and upper hand because we recently won a trophy." He continued: "Mamelodi Sundowns will never be underdogs, and that in itself always gives us an advantage over our opponents. We have the best management, coaches, and players in the club, so we will always have an advantage."

Sundowns' dominance in the local league over the last decade has not always translated into the same success in cup competitions. The "Brazilians" have won the league title multiple times but have struggled to replicate this consistency in the playoffs, acknowledging Mkhulise's observation about the different demands of cup matches.

He noted: "Playing in cup matches is not easy. It is not like the league because, as they say, the league is a marathon, while in cup games, teams give their all." He added: "It's not that we don't give our all, but we will try to give our all this time and hope to win this final."

For Mkhulise, the final on Saturday also represents an opportunity to win an award on home soil, as the midfielder hails from KwaZulu-Natal. He added: "It would be truly special for me to add another winner's medal and lift this trophy in my province [KwaZulu-Natal]."

"Pirates" will arrive in Durban with the aim of extending their outstanding streak and getting closer to Kaizer Chiefs' record of 15 top-eight titles. However, "Sundowns" will strive to break this streak and reclaim the trophy they have not won in five years.

The final, which promises to be completely sold out, is scheduled for 18:00 on Saturday.

Simon Harmer asserts that the current Proteas squad thrives on collective resilience rather than the individual brilliance characteristic of past eras.

Spin veteran Simon Harmer believes that the growth of the Proteas team in Test format over recent years is due to collective fortitude, not reliance on star players.

Proteas will play against Australia in the first match of the three-match series at Kingsmead stadium on Friday. This will be the first Test match at home since their triumphant victory in last year's Test World Cup final against Pat Cummins' team at Lord's.

At the start of that final, the Proteas team faced difficulties. However, as has been the case throughout the tenure of coach Shukri Conrad, they fought and managed to secure a convincing victory over the high-caliber Australian side.

Australia Tour of South Africa

Before the series began, Harmer stated: 'Since returning to this Test structure, it is a group of guys who always find a way out. They have a common goal, and everyone moves in the same direction—it is a very cohesive group.' He added that 'when problems arise, there is a willingness to fight for a teammate. That is the strongest trait: the ability to find ways to win.'

Harmer compared Test cricket to a game of chess, where there are hours or sessions that do not go according to plan. He emphasized that the essence lies in problem-solving and finding solutions, which the team demonstrated exceptionally well.

Harmer debuted in Tests during an era when Proteas possessed numerous world superstars—batsmen with averages in the late 40s and 50s, supported by an attack of fast bowlers that drew envy in world cricket.

Despite the fact that few players in the current squad would make a world XI, the cohesion forged under Conrad turned them into World Test Champions.

Harmer recalled that in the past, there were players like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, and Dale Steyn who could win matches single-handedly, and they did so for South Africa repeatedly. He noted that the situation in the current squad is different: 'it is teamwork. Someone else is always reaching out. We do not have this dependence on specific individuals, where 'if they succeed, we succeed'. '

He believes this is likely the main difference between the time he started playing for the national team and what the team has become now.

As Australia arrives in Durban aiming to avenge the loss in the 2025 World Cup final, Harmer expects an extremely tense series, despite the modern T20 tournament having softened off-field hostility.

Harmer warned that 'the Australian team is always competitive; they fight until the end.' He also noted that 'their lower order always seems to score many runs—that 'never give up' attitude. They fight till the end.'

He compared this quality to the South African one: 'We are resilient and probably do our best when our backs are against the wall. This was shown to the world in the Test World Cup final, where people thought Australia would win easily, but this team found a way.'

Harmer is confident that Australia will want revenge for that defeat and will perform extremely competitively. He concluded that the times of huge rivalries, where teams played each other every 18–24 months and created field conflicts, are over. Although T20 cricket has somewhat softened this, he does not think they will be soft in any sense.