CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe (L) hands Confederation Cup trophy to Zamalek captain Mahmoud Abdelrazik 'Shika (R), after beating RS Berkane 2-2 on aggregate, at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
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Egyptian Club Zamalek Claims CAF Confederation Cup Title

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Egyptian giants Zamalek claimed the CAF Confederation Cup title after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against RS Berkane in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final, securing a 2-2 aggregate victory on the away goals rule to win the trophy.

The hosts featured Seifeddine Jaziri in attack, with Zizo and Ibrahima Ndiaye supporting on the wings. For the visitors, Paul Bassene started up-front while Youssef Mehri and Youssef El Fahli were on the flanks.

Zamalek headed into the return fixture at the Cairo International Stadium trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Morocco a week ago.

However, Zamalek’s Ahmed Hamdi fired the Egyptians ahead in the 23rd minute to level the tie on aggregate in spectacular fashion.

However, the home side’s joy was tempered by Hamdi being forced off injured just before half-time after landing awkwardly.

With the 2-2 aggregate scoreline, the second half became an intense battle for the White Knights as Berkane launched wave after wave of attack in pursuit of a crucial away goal. Senegalese midfielder Ndiaye stood out as Zamalek displayed tremendous resilience and organisation to repel the threat of their Moroccan opponents.

Berkane’s frustrations boiled as defender Hamza El Moussaoui received a straight red card, reducing them to 10 men and forcing them to commit even more bodies forward. But Zamalek’s defence remained resilient under intense pressure in the closing stages to seal a 2-2 aggregate victory on away goals, sparking jubilant celebrations.

It caps a remarkable revival for the Cairo-based club, who only recently won the title in 2018/19 season to make it their second title of the competition.

Roared on by a home crowd draped in Zamalek’s traditional white and red, the Egyptians produced a thrilling fightback to be crowned kings of the continent for the second time.

Zamalek head coach Jose Gomes hailed the quality of play in the final of CAF Confederation Cup after his Egyptian side edged RS Berkane 1-0 on Sunday to win the trophy.

“The team started very strongly, and we could have scored more goals in the first half,” said the Portuguese tactician.

“African football deserves recognition for the quality of this final, and we won because we stayed focused.”

Source CAF
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