USMA Win 2023 CAF Confederation Cup : Algeria side USM Alger clinched the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup despite losing at home to Young Africans of Tanzania.
The Tanzanian side won 1-0 but is the North Africans who lifted the trophy following a 2-2 aggregate outcome.
USM Alger , the former side of ex-Kotoko attacker Kwame Opoku , won the first leg of the final by 2-1 on May 28th in Dar es Salaam.
For this return leg of the final of the Confederation Cup, USM Algiers received the Young Africans at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962.
In an overexcited atmosphere, with a full stadium hours and hours before kick-off, and an atmosphere in which all Algerians and Algiers seemed to be in solidarity with the USMA cause, the Reds and Blacks wanted to finish the work.
Winners in Tanzania (1-2), they left Dar es Salaam with the double advantage of leading the first leg thanks to two away goals.
A serious advantage, therefore, but which could have been synonymous with pressure for USM who are not used to the highest continental level.
Unfortunately, that’s what seemed to happen in the first half. It seemed similar to what happened in Tanzania but reversed, with the Young Africans dominating head and shoulders.
They quickly opened the scoring on a Shabani Djuma penalty in the 7th minute and immediately put pressure on the Algiers who seemed a little overwhelmed before raising their heads.
Meziane replaces Merbah and the Algiers return to the pitch with better intentions. They logically obtain a penalty that Belaïd shoots quite badly and misses in the 59th.
The rest of the game was a real fight as USMA held on to win their first ever CAF Confederation Cup trophy.
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