Posta Rangers hunt down Leopards as league resumes

Posta Rangers coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno has said he is under no pressure as his side takes on resurgent AFC Leopards in a Kenyan Premier League match on Wednesday at Nyayo Stadium.

All 16 KPL teams will be in action across various venues on Wednesday with champions Gor Mahia travelling to the tough-hunting ground that is the Awendo Green Stadium to battle Sony Sugar.

Leaders Tusker will be at home at the Machakos Stadium to entertain James Nandwa’s Thika United in a 4.15pm kick off while Ushuru will tackle Western Stima at the same venue from 2pm.

Rangers are yet to win a match in their four second leg fixtures but the Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia coach said that he does not see the enormity of task at hand as it is “just like any other match”.

“For us, we don’t think it’s such a big match because in all games, you get three points if you win. We are preparing so that we can win the match and it’s not exceptional,” Zico told Daily Nation Sport.

“We are prepared and I hope they’ll come to play football but not to fall and fake injuries to waste time.”

Posta drew 0-0 with Ingwe in the first leg and were tipped to challenge for the title but have seemingly run out of gas and now sit 10 points behind leaders Tusker.

Zico, however, maintains that a harsh judgment should not be passed on his side as “every other team is not getting what they want”.

“All teams in the League have not had the results they would have wished for, so even for us, we have to push to be where we want,” Zico, who will be without the long sidelined attacker, Timothy Otieno, added.

His opposite number, Ivan Minnaert, whose charges are 13 points off the summit, warned that they will do everything possible to win.

“We don’t have any advantage, but I think they (Posta) are going to be fresher than us. We are however we going to do everything to win,” said the Belgian.

“We respect every team,” he said, adding that his boys could be disadvantaged from the fatigue occasioned by the long travel from Mumias after the weekend match against Kakamega Homeboyz.

Gor face a Sony Sugar side reeling from their 1-0 loss to Leopards in their last league assignment 10 days ago in what is expected to be an explosive encounter.

Gor coach Jose Marcelo Ferreira is expected to make change to his side after resting some of his first team stars in their weekend’s 2-0 win over Nairobi Stima in the GOtv Shield Round of 32.

FIXTURES

Ushuru v Western Stima, Machakos (2pm)

Tusker v Thika United, Machakos (4.15pm)

Muhoroni Youth v Ulinzi Stars, Muhoroni (3pm)

Bandari v Sofapaka, Mbaraki (3pm)
City Stars v Chemelil Sugar, Ruaraka (3pm)

Kakamega Homeboyz v Mathare United, Mumias (3pm)

Sony Sugar v Gor Mahia,Awendo (3pm)

Posta Rangers v AFC Leopards, Nyayo (7pm)