Recently appointed as Durban City’s coach, Tinkler takes over from Khalil Ben Youssef as the club gears up for its CAF Confederation Cup journey. The seasoned coach had previously reached the final with Orlando Pirates in 2015, only to face defeat against the Tunisian team, Étoile du Sahel.

In 2017, he found himself in another final with SuperSport United, but once again, he was unable to lift the trophy, this time losing to the Congolese powerhouse, TP Mazembe.

Now, as he embarks on a new continental challenge with Durban City, the KwaZulu-Natal team enters the competition as underdogs. They will face AS Port-Louis 2000 from Mauritius in the preliminary-round tie’s first leg, set to take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the heartaches of the past, Tinkler maintains his fierce desire to reach the finals and ultimately win the tournament.

“That relentless desire to reach the final again is always present,” Tinkler stated, having recently resigned from his position at Asante Kotoko in Ghana.

“At every club I’ve joined, the goal has been to perform at the highest level to secure qualification for CAF.

“The aim has always been to win the Nedbank Cup, as it offers a direct route into the Confed Cup. Therefore, striving for CAF competitions has consistently been a priority in my coaching career, achieving positions such as second, third, fourth, and fifth along the way.

“Thus, when I was contacted, knowing Durban City was competing in CAF influenced my decision significantly.”

This new role represents a return for Tinkler, who has previously collaborated with club chairman Farook Kadodia during the franchise’s time as Maritzburg United.

In the 2019/20 season, Tinkler led Maritzburg to the Telkom Knockout final at Moses Mabhida Stadium, where they narrowly missed out against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sportswire learns that Durban City management first reached out to Tinkler ahead of last season’s Nedbank Cup final, when the team was overseen by Pitso Dladla. Dladla later departed after the season ended to take charge at Golden Arrows, lacking the necessary CAF A Coaching Licence required for continental matches.

Tinkler turned down the initial approach in May, believing it would be unethical to take over right before Dladla’s final match.

After Ben Youssef’s brief and challenging tenure—where the team only secured one league win—Tinkler stepped in. His second stint began with a loss against the high-flying AmaZulu at Chatsworth Stadium, but he remains determined to transform the squad’s mindset.

Tinkler advocates for a fresh start

Tinkler recognizes that a coaching change can significantly impact players’ mentalities, yet he believes his arrival presents the squad with a chance to reset and progress.

“A coach’s departure always brings a change in mindset,” Tinkler noted.

“In Portugal, for instance, they don’t say a coach is fired. In South Africa, it’s often termed as being fired, suggesting wrongdoing on the coach’s part.

“In Portugal, they refer to it as chicoteando. This term indicates a psychological ‘whipping’ to prompt a response from the players through the coaching change, and that’s the reaction you can expect.

“Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it doesn’t. Of course, the atmosphere here was somewhat depressing when I arrived. However, it’s an opportunity for a fresh start, and many now see this as a clean slate.”