BERKANE, Morocco - Egyptian giants Zamalek finished preparations in readiness for their match against RS Berkane of Morocco n the first-leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final on Sunday at 10:00pm Cairo Local Time.
The match is a repeat of the 2019 Final between the two clubs.
Zamalek advanced to the final after defeating Ghana’s Dreams FC with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-finals.
RS Berkane earned their spot in the final after the second-leg of their semi-final match against Algeria’s USMA was canceled.
The second-leg is scheduled to take place at the Cairo International Stadium on May 19.
Both Zamalek and RS Berkane raised their hands and stamped their authority as the tournament’s firm favourites after finishing top of their respective groups without a single loss enroute to the final.
The White Knights are among some of the few clubs that have made African club competition their own personal fiefdoms over the past decades.
The Cairo-based club established themselves as one of the most decorated clubs in African football history with five CAF Champions League titles and one CAF Confederation Cup trophy to their name.
Their latest quest for continental supremacy is merely the continuation of an enduring love affair with Africa’s club competitions as Zamalek has graced with a catalogue of iconic performances and indelible memories.
The Cairo giants etched their name into the CAF Confederation Cup’s roll of honour in 2019, defeating Moroccan opponents RS Berkane to claim their first title of the revamped tournament.
Zamalek have lost just one of their last 21 games in the CAF Confederation Cup (Win 12 – Draw 8), losing against RS Berkane in the first-leg of the 2019 final (0-1).
The CAF Confederation Cup was established in 2004 from a merger of the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners’ Cup and before the fusion of the two competitions, Zamalek had won Cup Winners’ Cup in 2000.
It would prove to be the start of Zamalek capturing of titles in the second tier continental club competition having won the Champions League titles 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996 and 2002.
Their 2019 triumph was perhaps the most dramatic of all, as the White Knights beat RS Berkane on penalties in the final to win the Confederation Cup title for the first time.
That victory encapsulated the spirit and resolves that has become synonymous with Zamalek’s exploits on the continent.
The White Knights’ pedigree extends far beyond mere statistics, however. The Confederation Cup has provided the stage for some of the club’s most revered players to etch their names into folklore.
Iconic figures such as Abdel Halim Ali, Hazem Emam, Ahmed Hossam ‘Mido’, Emmanuel Amunike, Emmanuel Quarshie, and Mahmoud Abdelrazek ‘Shikabala’ have all played integral roles in shaping Zamalek’s legacy as continental heavyweights.
Shikabala was the key player behind the Whites’ most recent Confederation Cup triumph in 2019, leading the club to the promised.
Revenge is on the cards in Sunday’s Final when two former champions face each other head on in the first leg of the double-legged final, , Cafonline.com reported.
The Berkane Municipal Stadium plays host to a repeat of the 2019 final when the two sides meet in the first round of two legs in a repeat of the 2019 edition that went 5-3 to Zamalek – a victory that handed the Egyptians their first and only CAF Confederation Cup title.
While the Moroccans went on to lift the title twice post their 2019 heartache, the memory of the defeat still lingers in their minds as they prepare to face the Zamalek in search of their third CAF Confederation Cup gold medal.
Established in 1938, RS Berkane, the Orange Boys as they are affectionately known, has been on a steady mission of establishing themselves on the continent.
Ahead of their first continental triumph in 2019, the Moroccan outfit lifted the Moroccan Throne Cup for the first time in 2018, which has since been followed up with an additional two Moroccan Throne Cup titles in 2021 and 2022.
One of the club’s most memorable success stories was their CAF Super Cup victory in 2022 where they overcame rivals and seasoned campaigners, Wydad AC to be crowned champions.
As the sole Moroccan club left in this year’s CAF Interclub competition, RS Berkane will be hoping to go all the way and record a third CAF Confederation Cup title in what will be a sweet victory over a side them deprived them of their first title five years ago.
It will not be an easy two-legged affair for coach Mouin Chaabani’s side against Zamalek who are yearning for continental glory since 2019.
In Chabaani, the Moroccans have a seasoned campaigner who has successfully figured out how to lift a CAF Inter-club competition title.
The Tunisian mentor successfully led Esperance Sportive de Tunis to two back-to-back CAF Champions League finals in 2018 and 2019 and with his experience, will be hoping to guide the Moroccans to glory.