Durban City made a confident start to their Betway Premiership journey with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday. The newly promoted side announced their arrival at the top level in style, with goals from Samkelo Maseko and Mfanafuthi Mkhize securing all three points.
Reflecting on the match, head coach Gavin Hunt admitted it was a challenging encounter. “It was not easy. We started the game really well. We were on the front foot a couple of times and they had a 10-minute spell just before halftime where they put pressure in the box,” Hunt said. “As an away team, we played really well to play for the result.”
The first half was a balanced affair, with both teams probing but few clear-cut chances created. Durban City looked more dangerous, creating several opportunities through Maseko, Haashim Domingo, and Trevor Mokwena, while Galaxy’s best chance came late in the half but went begging.
City broke the deadlock moments after halftime when Maseko scored the club’s first-ever Premiership goal, reacting quickly to a cross from Joslin Kamatuka. Despite Galaxy’s efforts to respond, Durban City doubled their lead in the 60th minute with a towering header from Mfanafuthi Mkhize.
“They tried to come back but we got the second goal,” Hunt added, praising his team’s resilience and defensive discipline.
With a quick turnaround ahead, Hunt is already focused on the next challenge: “We got to move on now, we have a game on Wednesday so there’s not much time.” Durban City will play their first home match of the season against Chippa United at Chatsworth Stadium.
Durban City’s impressive debut victory signals a promising start for the KwaZulu-Natal side as they look to establish themselves in the Premiership this season.