Posta Rangers head coach Zedekiah Otieno says his side are prepared for Wednesday’s FKF Premier League clash against Bandari FC in Mombasa despite injuries to key players.
The teams are scheduled to meet at Mbaraki Sports Club, with both sides seeking a result to improve their positions in the early-season standings.
Posta Rangers travelled to Mombasa overnight, with Otieno confirming that his players completed their final training session on Tuesday.
“I think the team has prepared well,” he said, adding that morale remained high despite the journey.
However, the visitors will be without forward Olilo, whom Otieno described as one of the team’s key attacking players. Right-back Leon is also yet to feature this season because of an injury.
“Injuries have hit us,” Otieno said, expressing confidence that the available players could step up in their absence.
Asked whether his familiarity with Bandari coach Charles Okere would influence the match, Otieno said the outcome would depend on the players’ performances rather than the coaches’ history.
“The 90 minutes tomorrow, the players that Posta bring and the players that Bandari bring to the pitch — they are the ones who will make the difference,” he said.
Otieno added that his experience of facing Okere over the years would have little bearing once the match began.
“It’s not about individuals. It’s about our 11 players and Bandari’s 11 players. Me knowing him or him knowing me is of no consequence tomorrow,” he said.
Posta Rangers have had an uneven start to the campaign, according to Otieno, who said the team had responded positively after an unexpected defeat to Murang’a Seal.
The coach said his side had entered the season with confidence following pre-season friendly victories over AFC Leopards and Tusker.
He also pointed to the team’s resilience in a match against Shabana, in which they played with 10 men, as evidence of their ability to compete under pressure.
However, the loss to Murang’a Seal forced the team to reassess its approach.
“That game came as a surprise to us, and it was a wake-up call,” Otieno said.
He said the team responded by rebuilding its confidence before securing three points against KCB.
“After that match we had to believe in ourselves again, and against KCB we played a very good game and got all three points,” he added.
Otieno said Posta Rangers were building a squad that combines experienced players with younger talent, with the former providing composure and the latter bringing energy.
“The experienced players bring that understanding of the game and of big moments, while the younger players bring energy, which is very important for the modern game,” he said.
The coach said avoiding relegation remained the club’s immediate priority after several seasons spent battling near the bottom of the table.
However, he added that the longer-term ambition was to improve the club’s league position and eventually challenge for the title within the next one to two seasons.
Wednesday’s encounter offers both teams an opportunity to build momentum as the campaign progresses.
