Coach Okumu blames emotional collapse for Nemostars’ Round of 16 exit
Despite a dominant run in the group stages, Uganda’s Nemostars Volleyball Club have once again seen its continental dreams deferred for the ninth time. In a gruelling Round of 16 encounter at the CAVB African Club Championship, the Ugandan champions fell 3-1 to Kenya Port Authority (KPA), marking a disappointing exit for a side that […] The post Coach Okumu blames emotional collapse for Nemostars’ Round of 16 exit appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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Despite a dominant run in the group stages, Uganda’s Nemostars Volleyball Club have once again seen its continental dreams deferred for the ninth time.
In a gruelling Round of 16 encounter at the CAVB African Club Championship, the Ugandan champions fell 3-1 to Kenya Port Authority (KPA), marking a disappointing exit for a side that appeared destined for a deep podium run.
The 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25) scoreline tells the story of a razor-thin margin, but for Head Coach Godfrey Okumu, the loss wasn’t dictated by skill alone, but by a breakdown in mental discipline.
The Nemostars entered the match with momentum, having topped Pool A. However, the atmosphere turned volatile as the match progressed. Frequent stoppages and talk across the net appeared to get under the skin of the Ugandan side, shifting the battle from a tactical one to an emotional one.
“No one wants to lose. We played well but we were challenged by the stoppages,” Okumu said following the match. “There was a lot of talking across the net and somehow we lost concentration. After that, we started playing with our emotions and we lost our heads in the game.”
While the Nemostars struggled to manage their temperaments, KPA capitalised on the chaos. The Kenyan side’s offensive variety proved too dynamic to contain, even as Nemostars attempted to adjust their block and back-row defence.
Okumu was quick to credit the winners of the day: “I want to appreciate KPA’s offence because it was up to date. We tried to stop them, but it was not enough on the day.”
This marks the ninth time the Nemostars have featured at this prestigious stage of the competition. While their consistency in reaching the knockout rounds is a testament to their domestic dominance, the inability to transition that success into a quarterfinal berth remains a recurring frustration.
“In sport, when you use too much emotion in a game, the results are always mixed because you have no control anymore,” Okumu added.
“I hope we learn from this how to keep our heads in the game. As much as we lost, it was close and could have gone either way.”
The Nemostars will now head into the classification matches to determine their final ranking in the tournament.
While the sting of the KPA loss will linger, the focus shifts to internalising the lessons learned. In the high-stakes world of continental volleyball, technical talent is nothing without emotional fortitude.
For now, the wait for a semi-final breakthrough continues as the Nemostars now switch focus to placement games.
The post Coach Okumu blames emotional collapse for Nemostars’ Round of 16 exit appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
