USM Alger continued their dream of winning the African Confederation Cup for the second time in their history, after drawing 1-1 with hosts Olympic Safi of Morocco on Sunday evening in the second leg of the semi-finals of the continental competition.
The first leg, played in Algeria last week, ended in a goalless draw, allowing the Algerian team, which won the cup in 2023, to benefit from the advantage of away goals, which is used as a tiebreaker when the aggregate score is level over two legs.
USM Alger, reaching the final for the second time in the competition’s history, will face Egyptian club Zamalek, who have two titles in the tournament, in the final round.
The first leg is scheduled to be played in Algeria on May 9, while the second leg will be held in Cairo on May 16.
USM Alger took the lead through Ahmed Khaldi in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time from a penalty kick, which he placed low to the left of the Olympic Safi goalkeeper, who tried to save it but failed as the ball nestled into the net.
Moussa Kone equalized for Olympic Safi in the 75th minute from a corner kick on the left side, which was delivered as a cross. The Algerian defenders failed to clear it, leaving the ball to fall to Kone in front of an empty net, and he put the ball into the goal.
Olympic Safi tried to score the winning goal and qualify for the final in the remaining time, especially after the referee added 19 minutes of stoppage time, but they failed to achieve their aim, ending their journey at the semi-final stage.
The match was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes from its original start time after a large number of fans stormed the pitch of the Stade Al Massira in Safi before the kickoff.
