USM Alger pip Zamalek to Confed Cup title

USM Alger were crowned CAF Confederation Cup champions after defeating Zamalek one penalties in the second leg of final on Saturday evening.

Fixture: Zamalek vs USM AlgerScore: 1-0 (1-1 aggregate)Goalscorers: Dabbagh (5')

It was all or nothing for the North African giants, with the White Knights in particular having to overturn the first-leg defeat and the men from Algerian keen to gain further control from the victory last weekend and reclaimed the Confederation Cup.

The White Knights made the ideal start just two minutes on the clock when Che Malone upended Adam Kaied in the area to concede a penalty, which Oday Dabbagh calmly powered into the bottom-corner.

USM were poised to go back on level terms and gain outright control of the clash with a solidly struck free-kick right outside the area by Islam Merilli following a foul, but goalkeeper El Mahdi Soliman palmed over the top.

Soliman unfortunately couldn’t continue between the sticks after he struggled to shake off an injury and was forced to vacate to grant substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Awad entry on the half-hour mark.

The Algerians intensified their comeback aspirations in the closing minutes to the break and an utterly ferocious long-range shot by Ahmed Khaldi urged Awad to move across to his goal-line to repel emphatically.

Khaldi remained pivotal minutes into the second half and was a whisker away from putting the visitors level on the night when he played a quick one-two edge of the area to fire narrowly wide of the net.

USM still enjoyed the lion share of momentum and provided another threat after a cutback from the left of the area found Khaldi who side-footed over the top with the goal at his mercy and defence caught square.

The White Knights were very close to doubling their lead five minutes from time through a pin-point header in the area by Seifeddine Jaziri from a curling cross by veteran Abdallah El Said, but Oussama Benbot parried over the top.

With no outright winner, the unpredictably of the penalty shoot-out took place and the opening five efforts from both teams were struck expertly, until Mohamed Shehata slammed over the top in sudden death, leaving Glody Likonza to score the winning penalty to hand Alger to the title.