Egypt’s top-flight club Zamalek have won the CAF Cup | Football News

Zamalek travel to Algeria’s USM Alger on Saturday in their Confederations Cup final on Saturday.

Egypt’s financially troubled Zamalek will win the $4m CAF Confederation Cup if they beat Algeria’s USM Alger in the two-legged final.

USM will host the first game on Saturday in front of 50,000 people and the return game is set in Cairo on May 16 in a match between the previous winners of the tournament.

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Zamalek lifted the trophy, Africa’s equivalent of the UEFA Europa League, in 2019 and 2024. USM won in 2023.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced a 100 percent increase for the winners and runners-up to $4m and $2m, respectively.

The decision boosted Zamalek, the second most successful club in CAF competitions with 13 titles, but struggling with debts of $6.5m.

Egyptian journalists say that the team, known as the White Knights, owes money to African and European clubs for the players they brought to Cairo.

Ukrainian club Oleksandriya have said they have sold Brazilian midfielder Juan Bezerra to Zamalek, but some transfer fees have run out.

Former coaches, including Swiss Christian Gross and Portuguese Jose Gomes, are also in debt. They and other players have turned to international governing body FIFA for help.

Former Tottenham boss Gross led Zamalek to victory in the 2019 Confederations Cup final against Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane. Gomes repeated the same feat five years later, also against Berkane.

If favorites Zamalek win the Confederation Cup for the third time, they can enter the CAF Super Cup, which offers a prize money of $500,000.

The Super Cup is an annual match between the winners of the CAF Champions League – South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns or Morocco’s FAR Rabat this season – and the Confederation Cup.

USM and Zamalek reaching the final confirms the dominance of North African clubs in the second division competition in Africa, with 17 wins in 22 finals.

A large area in northern Africa

Tunisian club CS Sfaxien and Berkane share the record with three titles each. Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel, Morocco’s Raja Casablanca and Zamalek are among the four two-time winners.

This season, six of the eight quarterfinalists came from the north, and all four finalists.

Zamalek will return to Algeria after eliminating Chabab Belouizdad, the country’s other players, in the semifinals.

Bezerra scored the only goal in the first leg in Algiers and the hard-fought second leg ended goalless.

After winning and drawing at home against African champions Olympique Safi in the group stage, USM defeated the Moroccans by away goals in the semifinals after two matches.

Ahmed Khaldi scored a penalty for USM at the end of the half in the second minute that was marred by crowd trouble and a pre-match attack.

Both final teams will be captained by defenders, USM’s Raadi Sadouani and Zamalek’s Omar Gaber, and the sides are a mix of homegrown and foreign stars.

USM’s Dramane Kamagate has scored six goals in this season’s competition, but all were conceded to the Ivory Coast side before San Pedro moved to Algeria.

Cameroon’s Che Malone is set to partner Hocine Dehiri in USM’s central defence, who beat Tanzanian Youth on away goals in the 2023 final.

Zamalek have scored 17 goals in the competition this season. Bezerra and Tunisian Seifeddine Jaziri scored four each, and Palestinian international Oday Dabbagh three.

Whatever the outcome of the final, both teams will have another chance next season.

Egyptian Premier League leaders Zamalek have qualified for either the Champions League or the Confederation Cup. Algerian FA Cup winners USM will return to the Confederation Cup.