Botswana Premier League defending champions Gaborone United have turned to former Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor as their new head coach. According to information reaching FARPost, Moyagoleele are set to announce Connor as their new coach in the next few days.
The Irishman’s appointment is a bombshell, coming just days after his unexpected departure from league rivals Jwaneng Galaxy. Interestingly, the veteran mentor turned down two offers earlier in the season, including one from Betway Premiership side Durban City FC.
Connor arrives at ‘The Money Machine’ with a mandate to maintain their domestic dominance. However, the timeline of his move has raised eyebrows.
Despite leading Galaxy to the Orange Cup title and leaving them sitting at the summit of the league table with only 11 games remaining, the club and coach opted for a mutual separation.
The mining outfit, which finished fourth last season, played a different brand of football under Connor. A firm believer in young players, the former Cape Town Spurs technical director reduced the Galaxy squad’s age average from 30 to 27.
CONNOR’S BOTSWANA STINT MARKED BY IMMEDIATE IMPACT
While Galaxy has remained tight-lipped regarding the specific reasons for the split, Gaborone United wasted no time in securing his services to bolster their title defence.
Since arriving in Botswana from Matebele FC, Connor’s trajectory has been defined by immediate impact. He took Matebele, now under the tutelage of Reneilwe Letsholonyane, to the semi-final of the Orange FA Cup. He then took over Galaxy and guided them to the FA Cup title and a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The coach brings extensive experience from his tenure as Technical Director and coach at CT Spurs. Connor leaves his previous post with the team in first place, a significant improvement on their finish the previous season.
Coincidentally, Galaxy named former Gaborone United boss Dimitar Pantev as their new head coach. Pantev left GU earlier in the season to take over Simba SC of Tanzania, where he was fired after 60 days.
Gaborone United followers will be hoping Connor translates his mid-season momentum into a trophy-winning finish. The transition is expected to be seamless given Connor’s familiarity with the current league dynamics and the opposition’s strengths.
He takes over just when The Reds’ 28-match unbeaten run has been ended by Sua Flamingoes. They lost 3-2 to Sua on Saturday under the tutelage of interim coach Khalid Niyonzima.
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