Posta Rangers coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno believes his revamped side can compete at the highest level after a promising pre-season that saw the Mailmen beat Tusker and AFC Leopards.
The coach has overhauled the squad after a difficult 2025/26 campaign in which Posta Rangers finished 15th. Twelve new players have been brought in ahead of the 2026/27 season. Back for a second spell at the club, Otieno is satisfied with the work done during the build-up and says the team has stuck to the programme set by the technical bench.
“I think we’ve had a good pre-season,” Otieno said. A string of friendly matches has allowed the new-look squad to build cohesion and test itself against established opposition, with the 2-1 victory over Tusker and the 1-0 win against AFC Leopards among the results that have pleased the coach. “Everything has gone as we had planned from the beginning,” he said.
The AFC Leopards victory was particularly encouraging for the mailmen as they continued to assess their new signings and shape the team ahead of competitive football. “We’ve played some good friendly matches and even won against AFC Leopards,” Otieno said.
The club has also received a financial boost through a Sh7 million sponsorship deal with Playmaster, providing additional support as the team prepares for the demands of the new campaign.
Posta Rangers’ start to the league has already been disrupted, with their opening two fixtures against Shabana and Murang’a SEAL postponed. Otieno feels his players have done enough during the pre-season to approach the fixture with confidence. “I think we’re ready for the first match of the league,” he said.
The KCB encounter will provide the first competitive test of the changes made during the close season and an opportunity for the Mailmen to put last season’s struggles behind them.
Otieno’s return has also brought back memories of his first spell at the club, when Posta Rangers enjoyed one of their best runs in the top flight. The coach says he still has unfinished business. “I think, being the second time, there’s some unfinished business which we didn’t finish last time I was here,” he said.
His ambitions are not limited to simply improving on last season’s position. With a new-look squad at his disposal, Otieno believes Posta Rangers have the quality to compete with the top sides. “The team is good, and I know it can really perform well and be one of the contenders in the league,” he said.
The coach is nevertheless reluctant to make bold predictions about the final league position, preferring to concentrate on ensuring his players compete consistently throughout the campaign. “What we’re trying to do is just to make sure that we compete at the highest level,” he said.
Saturday’s clash with KCB will, therefore, offer an early indication of whether the promising pre-season form can translate into competitive results.
For Otieno, the bigger picture will only become clear once the campaign is complete, but he remains convinced that Posta Rangers have assembled a side capable of making an impact.
“At the end of the season, we’ll see what happens, but I know, and I believe that we have a very good team,” he said.
