Posta Rangers players Jackson Macharia and Caleb Olilo celebrate their goal during a past league match/HANDOUT Sportpesa League side Posta Rangers are ready to shake off last season’s struggles, armed with fresh faces and a burning ambition to leave relegation battles behind.
The Nairobi-based mailmen survived by the skin of their teeth, wrapping up 15th with 40 points after a campaign that tested their resolve.
Head coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno is now looking beyond survival, while seeking to build a more organised, consistent and potent side.
When Otieno returned to the club in April, Posta were deep in the relegation battle, and the immediate priority was survival rather than long-term rebuilding. His first task was to create room for the team to breathe.
The emphatic 3-0 win over Sofapaka offered Posta Rangers a precious breath of fresh air, but beneath the relief lay a deeper reality: transforming a troubled team cannot be achieved overnight. Otieno knows his philosophy needs time to take root, a luxury he was denied last season.
“It is difficult because, as a coach, you need time to execute your plan,” he said. “Right now, it is a crash programme, which we are trying very hard to adapt.”
That experience has shaped Posta’s approach to the new season, with the club recruiting heavily to strengthen a squad that scored only 31 goals in 34 league matches last season.
Among the new arrivals are winger Rodgers Oporia Angal, midfielder Brian Ochieng, creative midfielder Tedy Dok, Joseph Akwanda and Isaac Wasambo. The recruitment drive is intended to give Otieno greater depth while providing more attacking options.
For the coach, however, recruitment alone will not solve Posta’s problems. The new players must be integrated into a coherent system and given enough time to understand their responsibilities.
“We planned to score the first goal, then manage the game,” Otieno said after Sofapaka's victory, explaining the approach that helped secure one of his first wins after returning to the club.
Captain Dinken Mwema believes the players have also learned important lessons from last season’s difficult periods, particularly the need to remain mentally strong when matches enter decisive stages.
“We have the fighting spirit, and that gives us morale even as we head into the final stages,” Mwema said during last season’s resurgence.
The defender was part of a Posta side that endured prolonged periods without victory but eventually rediscovered its confidence. He attributed the turnaround partly to the players taking collective responsibility for changing their fortunes. “We agreed as players to turn things around, and once it was a resolve of everyone, you can see the results,” Mwema said.
That mentality will be important as the Mailmen attempt to avoid another prolonged battle against relegation. Mwema believes the dressing room remained united despite the pressure and that unity can provide a foundation for the new campaign. “There is self-belief in every member of the team,” he said. “Everyone believes that we have what it takes to be in a better position.”
The arrival of new players should also increase competition for places. Oporia’s pace gives Posta another option out wide, while the additions in midfield are expected to improve creativity and ball progression. “The new players have also brought in some positive impact,” Mwema said. “The competition for places makes the team even better.”
The captain’s emphasis on competition mirrors Otieno’s belief that Posta need more than survival. The coach wants to build a side capable of controlling matches, creating more chances and converting them consistently.
For Mwema, defensive discipline will remain equally important. Posta repeatedly surrendered promising positions last season, making concentration in the closing stages a major area for improvement.
“Our problem has been lack of concentration, and this has seen us lose points from winning positions,” he said. “It is something we need to address moving forward so that we can be able to bag maximum points.”
The club has also secured a one-year, Sh7 million sponsorship deal with Play Master Kenya, providing additional financial support for operations and squad development. With stronger backing, a revamped squad and a full pre-season under Otieno, Posta Rangers now have an opportunity to turn last season’s survival lessons into a more settled campaign.
