Skip to main content

WILL POSTA RANGERS WIN THEIR MAIDEN LEAGUE TITLE THIS YEAR?

 After twelve rounds of games, the free scoring Posta Rangers sat pretty at the top of the Kenya Premier League table. Their form; imperious, their attack; second to none, and their pockets deep enough to swallow a dinosour. Everything seemed to be working in their favour. With no real rivals to condend with, no derbies to cotest in and no weight of fan's expectations to deal with, nothing stood on Posta Rangers' way except perharps their inexperience. And while they have no fanbase except perhaps the employees of Kenya Postal Corporation, they have a real buzz around them. Neutrals would want them to win this year's Kenya Premier League title, if not for anything else, just to break the Gor Mahia - Tusker monotony. But will they?

After 12 rounds of games Posta Rangers had scored a league high 18 goals in 12 matches and boasted an impressive point total of 25 points, one more than the defending champions (guess who?) Gor Mahia. This means they (Rangers) have already surpassed half the points they garnered the whole of last season yet we are barely a quarter of the way through this season. Seems like Posta are finally good at something other than just delivering letters. Their Coach,  John Kamau Kenyatta, is in high spirits even though, credit to him, he downplays any chances of winning the league. Think about it: Posta Rangers do not have to endure the finacial struggles that Gor Mahia, Sofapaka, AFC Leaopards and Wazito deal with every year. They do not have to deal with the worry that their best players might ditch them for a better paying team and they do not have direct rivals. What could possibly go wrong? It turns out that a lot could. Ever since the 12th leg of the league, Posta Rangers have found wins hard to come by. They have since surredndered the league leadership to (who else?) Gor Mahia and as I write this piece, they sit.. (you wont guess it) third on the league table! The only question is, "What has gone wrong for Posta?"

Posta Rangers do not have to endure the finacial struggles that Gor Mahia deals with every year. They do not have to deal with the worry that their best players might ditch them for a better paying team and they do not have direct rivals. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, a lot has gone wrong. Posta is finding it hard to score goals. They seem not to be able to grind out results like the recent title winning sides; Tusker and Gor Mahia, and their defence is proving to be a soft underbelly. Gor Mahia easily leap-frogged them. And then surprisngly, Kakamega Homeboyz leap-frogged them too. Posta Rangers have failed to win any league match since they last beat Nairobi City Stars, drawing with Tusker and Leopards in that little run. Instead, it's Kakamega Homeboys that Gor Mahia has to worry about, as it seems at least for now. The side has put together a run of five straight wins which is by far the best of any side this season. They have scored a league high 20 goals and have conceded only ten goals (second only to Gor Mahia). Gor Mahia on the other hand is struggling to win matches. Though still the only side yet to taste defeat this season, Gor Mahia lack as it seems, the pedgree to string together a run of wins which is the true mark of a champion.

John Kamau, Ranger's head coach, has 12 years of experience coaching in the Kenya Premier League with different sides but the closest he has ever come to winning the coveted title was way back in 2013 when he came up fifth with Thika United. That should be a motivation rather than a hindrance. But looking at the situation as it is now, it is increasingly evident that his best days are behind him. Not every coach gets to guide their team to a league title. But if John Kamau is to lay his hands on the KPL gold, this could be his best chance yet. The challenge is to galvanize his side and put together a run of performances similar to the one that propelled them to the top of the KPL table earlier this season. And this must begin this Sunday when they play at home agaisnt the in-form Kakamega Homeboyz.

After all is said and done, we are probably going to witness a new League champion come the end of this season. It will be 15 years since any side other than Gor Mahia and Tusker last won the title and all the indications point to that run comming to an end if/when Kakamega Homeboys win it. And they would deserve it. Patrick Odhiambo is an experienced coach and has built a team capable of anything. They have earned not just my admiration but also my respect and best wishes, though I'm sure they wont need them.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

20 LINGALA WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW THEIR MEANINGS

Over the last couple of years the Lingala language has gained and continues to gain unprecedented popularity in Kenya . Many Kenyans now can speak fluent Lingala. Some even sing in the langauge! I'm talking about Papa Fololo, Igwe Prezda Bandasson, Awilo Mike of Jamnazi Africa, Fofona Bangali and myself, just to name but a few. Part of the reason for this popularity is: Lingala is easy to learn (For Lingala-Swahili similarities, click here ). I mean, it is ridiculously easy. So easy, in fact, it takes just a few months. Forget about the Lingala you hear in songs that's bedeviled with iterations of Lingalized French (Hahah, what does that even mean?). I'm talking about Lingala in its purest form here, the one not polluted with foreign languages. Well, before I bore you to death with detail, I'm happy to present you here with 20 popular lingala words and phrases I thought you could be interested in knowing their meaning. Let's get right into it, shall we? 1. Bolingo
83 comments
Read more

5 POPULAR LINGALA PHRASES EVERY RUMBA LOVER MUST KNOW

Lingala is probably the fastest growing indigenous African language largely due to Congolese music (Rumba, soukous, chatchto and the like). Some of the greatest composers and singers in Africa have sung in this language producing some renown hit songs that have dominated the African airwaves for decades while introducing some endearing phrases and catchphrases that never just never fade from our collective memory. Lingala is reputed as Africa's most romantic language and it has surely lived up to this reputation. Lingala phrases are a pure joy to listen to, especially when you understand them. Some of these phrases are priceless pieces of wisdom while some overflow with sardonic humor and wit. But one thing is for sure, these phrases are simply unforgettable, for one reason or another. Maybe it's because we tend to be fascinated with exotic languages and ideas. Or maybe, the Congolese people are just damn good at composing music. Either way, their singing, their music and mann
3 comments
Read more

TOP 5 LUO BENGA SONGS AND MUSICIANS OF ALL TIME

Luo benga is a crowded scene. It is a boiling pot teeming with hundreds of artistes, both dead and alive, young and old, males and females jostling for space in this very competitive music world.We have legends like the late George Ramogi, the late Owino Missiani (also known as DO Missiani), The late Okatch Biggy, the late Prince July, the late Prince Kassam, the late Omondi Tony, the late Kollela Maze, The late Kodiyo, to sample but a few. We also have an emerging crop of young talents like Dolla Kabarry, George Dume, Otieno Small, Kamaliza Majengo, Aluoch Jamaranda, Reggie Kabaselle  (son of the late Ochieng Kabaselleh ), Aluoch Jipanoran, Ogina KoKo, Omondi Longlilo, Jerry Jalamo Ka'John  and Osito Kalle to mention but a few. We cannot all agree who is the best and I am not going to impose my choices on you. But we can agree that from the long list of Benga artists in Luoland a few names stand out and a few songs stand out from the bunch like giraffe in heard of gazelles (well,
15 comments
Read more