Algerian football clubs have achieved a remarkable feat by all advancing to the group stages of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. This success was secured after victories in the second preliminary round return matches, held over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, marking the second time since 2021 that Algerian football has reached such a milestone.
The clubs involved are MC Alger and CR Belouizdad in the CAF Champions League, and USM Alger and CS Constantine in the CAF Confederation Cup.
In the CAF Champions League, CR Belouizdad faced significant challenges to secure their place in the group stage. After a 1-0 win in Oran’s Miloud Hadefi Stadium on Friday, the team had to endure a penalty shootout against Burkina Faso’s Douanes, as the Burkinabe side had won the first leg with the same scoreline in Bamako. With the score at 1-0, the tie went to penalties, where goalkeeper Mustapha Zeghba’s heroics, saving the last two spot-kicks, earned Belouizdad a 4-3 victory.
MC Alger also struggled in their return leg against Tunisia’s US Monastir. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, they were able to score twice in the final 20 minutes of their Saturday night match at the Ali Ammar Stadium in Douira. A stunning free-kick from Zakaria Naïdji (70’) and an own goal from Nigerian defender Moses (81’) saw MC Alger qualify for the next round.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, CS Constantine had a smoother path, defeating Ghana’s Nsuatreman in both legs (2-0 and 1-0). The local side comfortably secured a 1-0 victory in the return leg at Martyr Hamlaoui Stadium, thanks to a goal from Zakaria Benchaâ (19’).
USM Alger, however, had a more dramatic qualification. After losing 1-0 in the first leg to Tunisia’s Stade Tunisien, the reigning champions of the CAF Confederation Cup needed a strong second-leg performance. The breakthrough came in the 75th minute with a stunning overhead kick from Congolese player Kevin Mondeko. The team then clinched victory through an own goal by Bilel Mejri in stoppage time (90+3), securing a 2-0 win and a spot in the group stage.
Experts attribute the Algerian teams’ struggles in these qualifiers to a “lack of competitive match preparation.” USM Alger coach Nabil Maaloul remarked, “Algerian clubs participating in African competitions were not placed in the best conditions, as we entered a continental competition without having played a single minute in the local league.”
The group stage draws for both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup will take place on Monday, October 7, at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. The CAF Confederation Cup draw will be held at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 in Algeria), followed by the Champions League draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 in Algeria).
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Author: Nor-Eleslam.
