Gaborone United head coach Sean Connor has reflected on guiding the Money Machine to a league title with a staggering 15-point gap at the summit of the table last season.
The Irishman took over the reins in February and was immediately tasked with retaining the championship, having joined from rivals Jwaneng Galaxy on a two-year deal.
Gaborone successfully defended their Botswana FNB Premiership crown, accumulating 74 points in the 2025/26 campaign thanks to Connor’s tactical nous in the dugout.
Having achieved the objective set by the club’s hierarchy, the 58-year-old mentor reserved special praise for his troops who were head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.
“I think if you look at the history over the last 10 years, I don’t think a team has won the league by more than three or four points. So, to win it by 15 points was fantastic,” said Connor in an exclusive interview with Foot Africa.
“First of all, I have to give a lot of the credit to the players, they are top class in terms of mentality, technical ability, physical ability, so they take a lot of the credit. The owner for giving me the opportunity takes an extra slice of the credit.
“I think I’ve come in and galvanized the group, I gave them a greater focus, I brought the intensity to their play, and hopefully now my job is to continue that over the next couple of years.
Connor’s exploits with Gaborone were rewarded with the prestigious Coach of the Season award, fending off strong competition from Reneilwe Letsholonyane of Matebele FC and Nico United’s Reuben Njavera.
“It means a lot because as a foreign coach to be recognized by the stakeholders, the football people here and to receive that award is very humbling, I appreciate it,” added the UEFA Pro License holder.
“I think on the night I said that I’m only as good as the other coaches I’m working against, and I believe that coaches have the most difficult job. So, when you do get a reward like this I think it’s nice to enjoy it but not get too carried away. But it’s fantastic as a foreign coach to be accepted and granted the coach of the year award.
“I would also like to think that maybe it was a view not just on this year but also maybe the work I did the first year here when I started at Matebele FC and then won the Orange FA Cup with Jwaneng Galaxy. So, I was really pleased and I’m very honoured and humbled to receive the award.
With Gaborone set to return to the CAF Champions League next season, it remains to be seen whether Connor will still be in charge of the nine-time Botswana champions amid growing interest in his services.
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
