- AFC Leopards vs Posta Rangers SportPesa League Round 21 clash will be staged on Saturday, February 21 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm EAT.
- Ingwe are determined to return to winning ways and narrow the gap on Gor Mahia in the title race, while the Mailmen are desperate to snap their eight-match winless streak.
AFC Leopards will be looking to set things straight in the tight SportPesa League title race when they host a faltering Posta Rangers on Saturday at the Nyayo National Stadium from4pm EAT.
Things have gone a bit south for Ingwe lately. After getting knocked out of the FKF Cup in the Round of 64 by regional underdogs BB Bread on penalties, their league campaign took another hit.
They traveled all the way to the coast to face Bandari FC, only to return to Nairobi with a single point after being held to a frustrating goalless draw.
ALSO READ: Bandari FC hold AFC Leopards at Mbaraki to stall their SportPesa League title charge
AFC Leopards vs Posta Rangers preview
That unlucky clash at Mbaraki Sports Club, played under scorching temperatures, saw Leopards squander several clear chances.
That single point allowed their arch-rivals and title hopefuls Gor Mahia to stretch the gap at the top to six points after they beat APS Bomet 2-1.
K’Ogalo now sit comfortably on 43 points, while Ingwe are close behind with 37, crucially holding a game in hand.
At home, Fred Ambani’s charges have been on a red-hot streak. Saturday will mark their ninth home game of the season, having suffered just one loss in that run – to Kakamega Homeboyz.
With four victories and three draws secured at the den, they will be aiming for nothing less than to maintain that fortress-like record. However, Posta Rangers are no pushovers, even as they search for their first win of the year.
The Mailmen have gone eight matches without a victory, a run featuring five draws and three losses. Their last taste of success came way back in early December when they beat Nairobi United 2-0.
ALSO READ: Posta Rangers fight back for draw against AFC Leopards to stay unbeaten
Collins Omondi’s side will be going all out in this fixture, not just to deal a blow to Ingwe’s title charge, but to finally rediscover their winning formula.
Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 loss to Shabana FC. A sixth win of the season on Saturday could propel them into the top ten, lifting them from their current 12th-place spot where they hold 24 points.
But with Leopards looking sharp in the final third, it won’t be easy for the mailmen to deliver. Head coach Fred Ambani has admitted they need to win all their remaining games to stay in the title conversation.
“We know exactly what is required of us,” he told the Star ahead of the clash. “If we win our remaining matches, we give ourselves a real chance. There is no shortcut, no magic formula. It’s about consistency and belief.
“Six points is not an impossible gap. In football, momentum can shift very quickly. Our responsibility is to focus on ourselves and collect maximum points.”
Meanwhile, Omondi conceded that his team is not on the right trajectory at the moment but believes they can turn things around starting with the AFC Leopards match.
“We’ve played eight matches without a win, but I think we have been playing well recently and we are close to getting back to winning ways. At least we want to hit 30 points and build from there. That means we have to win 10 matches to reach our target,” he stated after the Shabana encounter at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga.
Notably, AFC Leopards have failed to overcome Posta Rangers in their last three meetings.
The Mailmen claimed two victories last season, while the first leg of this campaign ended in a 2-2 draw after Eliud Lokwam netted a dramatic late equaliser to deny Ingwe all three points.