CS Constantine edge USM Alger on penalties to reach historic semi-final
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Algeria's CS Constantine booked a place in the semi-finals of the 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for the first time in their history after defeating domestic rivals USM Alger in a tense penalty shootout on Wednesday night.
The quarter-final second leg, held at the Stade 5 Juillet in Algiers, ended 1-1 in regulation time — mirroring the result of the first leg in Constantine — before Constantine triumphed 4-3 in the shootout to complete a dramatic victory.
USM Alger, last season’s champions, struck first through Adam Alilat, who calmly slotted home a 26th-minute penalty to put the hosts ahead. That early lead gave USMA the advantage, but Constantine were not to be denied.
In the 56th minute, a well-worked move saw Mehdi Deeb tee up Abdelnour Belhousini, whose glancing header beat Benbot to level the tie once again. The game became increasingly cagey in the closing stages, with both sides creating half-chances but failing to convert.
The best opportunity to win the tie in regulation time fell to Boussliou in the 83rd minute, but his header drifted wide after a pinpoint delivery from Khaldi.
With no winner after 90 minutes, the match proceeded to penalties — and it was CS Constantine who held their nerve, converting four of their spot-kicks to seal a famous victory and spark wild celebrations.
The result sets up a mouthwatering semi-final between CS Constantine and Morocco’s RS Berkane, last season’s runners-up and two-time winners of the competition. For Constantine, the achievement marks a major milestone in the club’s continental journey.
Meanwhile, USM Alger will be left ruing missed opportunities in their title defence, falling short of a return to the semi-finals just a year after lifting the trophy.
