Okello boosts Nemostars camp

Ahead of the CAVB African Volleyball Club Championship, Nemostars have added Volleyball Cranes opposite Daudi Okello to their ranks.

Okello, Uganda’s most prominent professional player, has been training with the six-time league champions and was named in the team that leave for Misrata, Libya, Wednesday night.

The 20214 National Volleyball League MVP will add quality and experience to a Nemostars side that features fellow national team players like George Aporu, Smith Okumu and Bernard Malinga.

“Daudi makes a huge impact for us,” Nemostars coach Tom Amou told Daily Monitor.

Amou, who played with Okello on the national team added: “He is going to help the team in terms of jump service and secondly, he is an opposite with a lot of experience. His job is to attack and we know he can ably to do.”

Okello last played for Indonesia’s Jakarta Bhayangkara Presis, with whom he won the league in July 2024 before returning to Uganda.

In Kampala, Okello embarked on personal training and was in good shape when Nemostars came calling.

“I am excited with the opportunity to again play at the Africa Club Championship. Training has been good and we hope for the beat,” Okello, the 2021 CAVB African Nations top scorer, said.

This will mark Okello’s second appearance at the championship, having travelled with KAVC in 2015. With Ivan Ongom currently unavailable for Nemostars, there could not have been a better option that Okello.

Nemostars also added UCU Doves captain Mark Omara to the team that is targeting a top four finish in Libya. “We want to better our best position of number six and tat means we want to go into the semifinals,” Amou revealed.

The team was flagged off Wednesday morning by Anne Nankya, on behalf of the National Council of Sports to represent Uganda in the competition.

Nemostars is the only Ugandan team featuring in the continental showpiece this year, with league winners Sport-S showing no interest in the competition.

Uganda also had no representative in the recently concluded women’s competition that was held in Abuja, Nigeria.

CAVB Africa Volleyball Club Championship

Venue: Misrata, Libya

Dates: April 17-30, 2025

Nemostars delegation

Players

George Aporu, Mark Omara, Bernard Malinga, Steven Wandera, Daudi Okello, Smith Okumu, John Bosco Opendi, Brian Musinguzi, Esau Ecil, Willington Talemwa

Coach: Tom Amou.

Manager: Safina Nagayi

Head of Delegation: Hanifa Lubega

International Referee: Innocent Komakech