CAIRO — Zamalek head into Saturday’s decisive CAF Confederation Cup final second-leg knowing they must overturn a narrow deficit against a confident USM Alger side that is chasing another continental crown.
The Egyptian giants were edged 1-0 in a dramatic first leg in Algiers and now return to Cairo hoping their formidable home record can inspire another African comeback.
USM Alger, meanwhile, arrives unbeaten in their last three Confederation Cup matches against Egyptian opposition and carrying the momentum of a side that has lost just once in its last 19 games in the competition.
With a packed Cairo International Stadium expected, the final promises another tense chapter in a rivalry that has already delivered late drama, controversy and high-quality football, cafonline.com reported.
Both clubs now stand 90 minutes away from continental glory in what is shaping up to be one of the most finely balanced Confederation Cup finals in recent years.
With Zamalek chasing another famous continental night in Cairo and USM Alger seeking to protect their slender advantage, the stage is perfectly set for a dramatic conclusion to the 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final.
Below are the key statistics for the match:
Zamalek – USM Alger (Second-leg, CAF Confederation Cup final)
Date: Saturday, 16 May 2026
Venue: Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
Kick-off: 18h00 GMT
Referee: Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
● This will be the second meeting between Zamalek and USM Alger in the CAF Confederation Cup after a 1-0 win by the Algerian side in the first leg last week.
● Zamalek has won just one of their five meetings with Algerian sides in the CAF Confederation Cup (D3 L1), scoring just two goals across these five matches.
● USM Alger is unbeaten across their last three games against Egyptian sides in the CAF Confederation Cup (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet in all three.
● Zamalek has lost 1-0 to USM Alger in the first leg, however, they never lost back-to-back games in the CAF Confederation Cup (50 games played).
● USM Alger has lost just one of their last 19 games in the CAF Confederation Cup (W10 D8), however, they have lost five of their eight knockout stage away games in the competition (W1 D2).
● Zamalek has lost just one of their 24 home games in the CAF Confederation Cup (W17 D6), going down 1-0 to Stellenbosch in the quarter-finals last season. Moreover, Zamalek have never conceded multiple goals at home in the competition.
● Three of USM Alger’s last four goals in the CAF Confederation Cup have been scored from the penalty spot (all three by Ahmed Khaldi), with the last side to score more penalty goals than USM Alger’s three this season was RS Berkane in 2021-22 (five).
