USM Alger were crowned CAF Confederation Cup champions after holding their nerve in a marathon penalty shootout against Zamalek following an intense second-leg final in Cairo.
Zamalek won the match 1-0 thanks to an early penalty from Palestinian forward Oday Al-Dabbagh, levelling the tie at 1-1 on aggregate after USM Alger had secured an identical victory in Algiers one week earlier.
The Egyptian giants made the perfect start when Adam Kayed was brought down inside the penalty area after a challenge from Che Malone in only the second minute. The referee immediately pointed to the spot before Al-Dabbagh calmly converted past goalkeeper Osama Benbout in the fifth minute.
The goal sparked wild celebrations inside the stadium as Zamalek supporters sensed another memorable continental comeback from their side.
The hosts nearly doubled their lead moments later when Mohamed Ismail found the back of the net from close range after a clever flick-on by Juan Bezerra, but the assistant referee ruled the effort out for offside.
Despite Zamalek’s bright opening, the momentum shifted after the break as USM Alger took control of possession while the home side increasingly dropped deeper to protect their narrow advantage. Even so, Zamalek still looked dangerous on the counter-attack whenever opportunities arose.
With neither team able to find another breakthrough across regulation time, the final was ultimately decided by penalties in a dramatic shootout filled with tension and composure.
Both sides converted their opening seven penalties in a remarkable display of calmness under pressure. Abdullah El-Said, Hossam Abdel-Maguid, Seif El-Jaziri and Juan Bezerra all converted for Zamalek, while Khaldi, Zakaria Draoui, Radouani and Ben Ayad responded for the Algerian champions.
The turning point came when Mohamed Shehata blasted Zamalek’s eighth penalty over the crossbar. USM Alger substitute Tending then stepped forward and confidently buried the winning kick to seal the title and spark emotional celebrations among the Algerian supporters.
The victory secured a second CAF Confederation Cup title for USM Alger following their previous triumph in 2023. The Algerian side also booked their place in next season’s CAF Super Cup, where they will face either Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. or AS FAR.
CAF’s increased prize money means USM Alger will also walk away with USD 4 million (approximately KSh 516 million), making it one of the most lucrative victories in African club football history.
For Zamalek, the defeat marked a painful ending to a campaign that had promised so much. It was also the first time in the club’s history that they had lost a continental final through penalties after previously maintaining a perfect shootout record.
USM Alger coach Lamine Ndiaye praised his players after the dramatic triumph and insisted the result was deserved.
“Our crowning as CAF Confederation Cup champions is well deserved,” Ndiaye said after the match.
“The scenario of the match was something we expected. 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.”
The latest triumph further cements USM Alger’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s strongest clubs as they once again etched their name into continental football history.
