Cape Town Spurs name new coaching pair

Irishman Sean Connor will be acting coach of Cape Town Spurs after Monday’s sacking of Shaun Bartlett, with Vasili Manousakis appointed as assistant coach.

Connor is an unknown in the South African game but was named as Spurs’ technical director on Saturday, just hours after they had lost a record-breaking seventh DStv Premiership game of the season in the derby against Cape Town City.

SPURS APPOINT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Cape Town Spurs F.C. have appointed Sean Connor as the club’s technical director with immediate effect.

Connor is a UEFA pro license coach with extensive experience in various roles in the industry. pic.twitter.com/yk7YIRUs3w

— Cape Town Spurs FC (@CapeTownSpursFC) September 30, 2023

Bartlett got his marching orders in the wake of the club’s poor start and the 57-year-old Connor will take over temporarily despite something of a scatter-gun career.

He coached five clubs in Ireland but none of them for a lengthy period of time while his African experience is restricted to a handful of months at Caps United in Zimbabwe and three matches in the National First Division at Black Leopards, who fired him.

Manousakis’ appointment was announced late on Monday as he returns to the bench after working at Richards Bay last season.

??CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT ??

Coach Vasili Manousakis has been appointed as assistant coach to temporary Head Coach (TD) Sean Connor.
Cape Town Spurs F.C. wishes coach Vasili much success.
Welcome to the Warriors.#CAPETOWNSPURS#URBANWARRIORS#PSL#DSTVPREMIERSHIP#OURYOUTHOURFUTURE pic.twitter.com/P39y6iimkN

— Cape Town Spurs FC (@CapeTownSpursFC) October 2, 2023

Originally Benni McCarthy’s assistant at Cape Town City and AmaZulu, Manousakis joined Richards Bay last season but left at the end of the campaign when his contract was not renewed. He began his coaching career in the juniors at the old Ajax Cape Town.

BARLETT SACKED

Earlier on Monday, Bartlett’s contract was terminated.

“Following an extensive review and discussions with Shaun Bartlett and taking into consideration the current set of results, we have mutually agreed to the termination of the head coaches (sic) contract with immediate effect,” said a club statement.

“The club wish to place on record our appreciation for Shaun’s work during his time at the club, most significantly promoting the club back to the PSL. We recognise this is not an easy decision for all parties, but it has been taken with the club's long-term interest at heart.

“Everyone at Cape Town Spurs wishes Shaun Bartlett all the best in his future coaching career. CEO Alexi Efstathiou and Technical Director Sean Connor have already begun the restructure of the coaching setup at the club.

Bartlett, a member of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winning side, led the club to promotion in his second full season at the club. He had previously won the National First Division as coach of Lamontville Golden Arrows and also worked in charge of University of Pretoria and TS Galaxy. He was also a long-time assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs.

Bartlett is the first firing of the new DStv Premiership, although there has already been a change at Golden Arrows when Vusimuzi Vilakazi left the co-coaching position he held with Mabhuti Khenyeza, who is now the solo coach.