Nemostars head coach Godfrey Okumu kept it simple after his side’s commanding start, choosing to celebrate his players rather than the result following a straight sets win over Petrojet Sporting Club at the CAVB Men’s African Club Championship.
“The win is for the boys. They need it, they deserve it,” Okumu said. “It’s fantastic. We’ll be smiling all the way to the hotel.”
His team backed those words with a calm, controlled performance, beating the Egyptian side 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23) on Thursday morning at BK Arena in Kigali.
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Coming up against an unfamiliar opponent, Okumu revealed Nemostars relied on reading the game as it unfolded.
“We did not know them, so we had to learn as we played,” he said. “We watched what they could and couldn’t do, then stuck to our game.”
That discipline proved key. Nemostars stayed consistent, never chasing the match, never forcing changes.
“We did not change anything. We just played our play,” he added.
On the court, Daudi Okello led with 20 points, while Fredrico Mujinya contributed 12, both stepping up in a strong team display.
Despite the convincing win, Okumu downplayed talk of pressure, even with his players aiming high.
“They want to be in the final. That’s their choice,” he said. “There’s no pressure.”
Still, he acknowledged the challenge ahead in a competitive field.
“It won’t be easy. Every team wants to win,” Okumu said. “But this is a good group. They just need to stay driven and keep playing their game.”
