CAVB Men’s African Club Championship | Classification Games | Friday May 1,
- Nemostars 3-2 Nigeria Customs
[21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 18-16]
Nemostars Volleyball Club fought back from two sets down to beat Nigeria Customs 3-2 on Friday, sealing a second win over the same opponents and guaranteeing a top 10 finish at the Africa Club Champions Championship in Kigali.
The Ugandan side had comfortably beaten Nigeria Customs 3-0 in the group stage, but this classification clash at Petit Stade demanded far more.
With a place in the 9th–16th placement semifinals on the line, Nemostars had to dig deep.
They struggled early, undone by strong Nigerian serving. Trailing 13-17 in the first set, coach Godfrey Okumu called a timeout, but Nigeria held firm to win 25-21.
Okumu made changes in the second set, bringing on Daudi Okello, George Aporu and Bernard Malinga. Nemostars improved, but lost focus late on and fell 25-21 again, slipping 2-0 behind.
That sparked a response and Nemostars came out sharper in the third set, tightening reception and punishing Nigeria’s poor net defence to win 25-18.
They carried that momentum into the fourth, even after middle blocker Willington Talemwa went off injured. Showing grit, Nemostars levelled the match with a 25-20 win.
The deciding set was tense, with the lead changing hands. In the end, Okello stepped up when it mattered, guiding Nemostars to a deserved comeback victory.
The result sends Nemostars into the placement semifinals and confirms at least a top-10 finish.
They will next face either Ghana Army or hosts APR Volleyball Club as they push for a strong end to their campaign.
