The 2026/27 Premier Soccer League season has produced a remarkable amount of coaching turnover in its opening weeks, with five head coaches already losing their positions.
The latest reported departure is Khalil Ben Youssef, whose short spell at Durban City has reportedly come to an end after just three months.
He follows Cedric Kaze, Lehlohonolo Seema, Phuti Mohafe and Ronnie Gabriel, who have also left their respective clubs since the start of the campaign.
Five coaching changes in seven matches
The first change came at Sekhukhune United, where Cedric Kaze was dismissed after four league matches.
The Burundian coach had won his first two games but then suffered three consecutive defeats, with the club opting to make an early change.
Lehlohonolo Seema was next to depart after Siwelele endured a difficult opening to their campaign. The club failed to win any of its first five league fixtures, collecting only two points during that run.
At Marumo Gallants, Phuti Mohafe’s tenure ended after five matches. Gallants had taken just two points from those games, with three defeats and two draws. Ronnie Kanalelo subsequently took over.
Richards Bay and Durban City make further changes
Ronnie Gabriel then left Richards Bay after the club failed to record a victory in its opening six league matches.
The Natal Rich Boys had drawn three of those games before suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat against newly promoted Milford FC.
Richards Bay subsequently turned to Bulgarian coach Dimitar Nikolaev Pantev as Gabriel’s replacement.
The fifth change has now reportedly occurred at Durban City.
Ben Youssef had overseen seven league matches, collecting seven points from one victory, four draws and two defeats. His reported departure is particularly notable because Durban City had also progressed in the CAF Confederation Cup after eliminating Rukinzo FC 3-1 on aggregate.
TS Galaxy also make a coaching adjustment
There has also been movement at TS Galaxy, although the situation is different from the five head-coaching departures.
Club chairman Tim Sukazi confirmed that Bernard Parker is set to move into an assistant coaching position after seven league matches, with the club looking to appoint an experienced head coach during the international break.
Parker will remain involved with the first team while continuing his development on the coaching side.
Early pressure in the PSL
With five head coaches already gone, the opening phase of the 2026/27 season has demonstrated how quickly clubs can make technical-team changes when results do not meet expectations.
Several teams have barely completed a handful of league fixtures before changing direction, making the next phase of the campaign particularly significant for coaches still under pressure.
The coaching carousel has already begun — and with a long season still ahead, further changes cannot be ruled out.
