USM Alger were crowned CAF Confederation Cup champions for the second time in its, history after defeating Zamalek 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final, at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
Zamalek won the second leg 1-0 through Oday Al-Dabbagh’s early penalty, levelling the tie at 1-1 on aggregate, after USM Alger’s identical victory in Algiers a week earlier.
In only the second minute, Adam Kayed was brought down inside the area after a challenge from Che Malone, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Palestinian forward Al-Dabbagh stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty beyond Osama Benbout in the fifth minute.
The goal not only restored parity on aggregate, but also lifted the tension among the home fans, who sensed another famous continental comeback after previous final recoveries in recent years.
Zamalek continued to push forward and thought they had doubled their lead in the 14th minute when Mohamed Ismail turned home from close range following a clever knockdown by Juan Bezerra, only for the assistant referee’s offside flag to cut celebrations short.
In the second half, USM Alger dominated possession while Zamalek increasingly retreated to protect their slender advantage. Despite the pressure, Zamalek still looked dangerous on the counter-attack.
With neither side able to find another breakthrough, the contest moved to penalties, where the drama intensified further.
Both teams converted their opening seven spot-kicks in a remarkable exhibition of composure under pressure. Abdullah El-Said, Hossam Abdel-Maguid, Seif El-Jaziri and Bezerra all scored for Zamalek, while Khaldi, Zakaria Draoui, Radouani and Ben Ayad responded for the Algerians.
The decisive moment finally arrived when Mohamed Shehata blasted Zamalek’s eighth penalty over the crossbar. USM Alger substitute Tending then stepped forward and calmly converted the winning kick, sparking wild celebrations among the supporters.
The triumph secured USM Alger’s second Confederation Cup crown following their success in 2023 and booked their place in next season’s CAF Super Cup, where they will face either Mamelodi Sundowns or FAR Rabat.
With this victory, USM Alger walk away with a hefty sum as CAF has increased the winners’ prize money to a record USD 4 million.
After a tense battle failed to produce another goal, the Algerian side held their nerve in a marathon shootout to snatch the title in front of a stunned Cairo crowd.
For Zamalek, it was a bitter ending to a campaign that had promised so much. Remarkably, it was the first time the Egyptian club had lost a continental final via penalties after previously boasting a perfect record in shootouts.
For USM Alger coach Lamine Ndiaye, however, the triumph added another major continental achievement to his growing résumé as the Algerian side once again etched their name into African football history.
“Our crowning as CAF Confederation Cup champions is well deserved,” the Senegalese coach said after the match.
“The scenario of the match was something we expected,” he explained. “I asked the players not to panic if we conceded early. We continued to play our football, created chances and remained offensive.”
“We controlled most parts of the game. We stopped the strengths of Zamalek and played with all our power.”
