Algerian Radio
CR Belouizdad and USM Alger have booked their tickets for the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup (C3), following the quarter-final (second leg) matches played last Saturday and yesterday, Sunday, in Algiers, and aim to reach the final of the African competition.
USM Alger qualified for the semi-finals of the C3 by defeating the Congolese side AS Maniema Union (1-0) on Sunday evening at the 5-Juillet Stadium, thanks to a goal by Brahim Benzaza at the half-hour mark. This allowed the Algiers team to turn the tie around after the defeat conceded in the first leg in Lubumbashi (2-1).
The Algiers squad, solid and well-organized in defense, managed to hold onto their advantage until the final whistle, at the end of a highly contested match overall against a tough Congolese team. The visitors created numerous problems for the USMA rearguard, as evidenced by their dangerous attacks, but failed to get back on the scoreboard.
This is the third semi-final in four years for the "Red and Black," who will face the Moroccan club Olympique Club Safi, which qualified against Wydad Casablanca (first leg: 1-1, second leg: 2-2).
As a reminder, USMA and OCS have already met in the group stage. In the first leg, the Soustara squad went on to win in Morocco (1-0), before conceding a draw in Algiers (0-0).
CRB Makes Its Return to a Final Four... 30 Years Later
CR Belouizdad, the second Algerian representative in the Confederation Cup, wrote a new page in its history by qualifying for the semi-finals of this competition for the first time, following a draw against the Egyptians of Al-Masry (0-0) on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki (Algiers).
In the first leg, the Belouizdadis had snatched a draw (1-1). This is the first time that CRB has reached the final four of this competition (C3), and its first continental semi-final in three decades, its last dating back to 1996 in the African Cup Winners' Cup.
In the semi-finals, the Chabab will face the Egyptian club Zamalek, who won at home against AS Otoho d'Oyo (2-1), after holding their Congolese opponent to a draw in the first leg (1-1), thus securing their ticket for the final four of the tournament.
This clash will not be a first between the two teams, as they have already crossed paths in various international competitions (the Arab Cup in 1989 and the Champions League in the 2022/2023 season).
The C3 semi-finals will be played on April 12 and 19, with the ambition for both Algerian representatives to continue their beautiful continental adventure and, why not, feature in an all-Algerian final.
