USM Alger crowned TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup champions after epic penalty victory over Zamalek

USM Alger were crowned TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup champions for the second time in their history after defeating Zamalek 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday night.

The Egyptian giants 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. But 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.

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.

Roared on by a packed stadium and an impressive pre-match tifo display from supporters, Zamalek started with urgency knowing they needed to overturn the first-leg deficit.

Their breakthrough arrived almost immediately.

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 confidently and calmly slotted the penalty beyond Osama Benbout in the fifth minute to ignite celebrations inside Cairo International Stadium.

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.

USM Alger gradually settled into the contest and began to threaten through Ahmed Khaldi, whose movement and powerful shooting repeatedly troubled the hosts.

The visitors almost equalised midway through the first half when Islam Merili’s fierce free-kick flashed narrowly over the bar before Khaldi’s dangerous header also drifted wide.

Zamalek’s evening suffered a setback in the 29th minute when goalkeeper El Mahdi Slimane was forced off injured after failing to recover from a knock sustained moments earlier. Mohamed Awad replaced him for his first appearance in 111 days and was immediately called into action, producing an excellent save to deny Khaldi before half-time.

The second half followed a different pattern as USM Alger dominated possession while Zamalek increasingly retreated to protect their slender advantage.

Khaldi remained the biggest threat for the Algerian side, firing narrowly wide in the 54th minute before blazing another promising effort over the crossbar shortly afterwards.

Despite the pressure, Zamalek still looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Nasser Mansi nearly delivered the decisive goal in the 85th minute when he met a cross with a powerful header, but Benbout produced a brilliant fingertip save to keep USM Alger alive.

That save ultimately proved priceless.

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 visiting players and supporters.

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.