The Algerian Confederation Cup champion, USM Algiers, won the African Super Cup for the first time in its history, today, Friday, with a 1-0 victory over the Champions League champion, Al-Ahly of Egypt, in an exciting match held at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Saudi city of Taif.
Zinedine Belaid successfully scored the penalty kick in the 43rd minute, depriving the Algerian team of its rival, Al-Ahly, of enhancing its record, as it had previously won the African Super Cup 8 times.
The referee awarded the penalty kick after reviewing the video technology following Marwan Attia’s intervention on Brahim Ben Zaza in the area.
Union Capital players celebrate after scoring the lead goal at the expense of Al-Ahly. 🤩#TotalEnergiesCAFSC | #SuperAfricaInTaif | @USMAofficiel pic.twitter.com/HuWWJhAJSo
– African Super Cup 🏆 (@CAFCLCC_ar) September 15, 2023
This is the second title for veteran coach Abdelhak Benshikha in the competition, after he won it with Morocco’s RS Berkane at the expense of its local rival, Wydad, champions of the African Champions League last year.
The referee canceled a goal for Al-Ahly at the beginning of the first half.
In the eighth minute, Imam Ashour shot a ball from outside the area that bounced off goalkeeper Osama Bin Bout to Mahmoud Abdel Moneim (Kahraba), who shot the ball into the net, but the referee canceled the goal after calling the latter a violation.
Any moment, any moment! 😍
🇩🇿 USMA lifts the African Super Cup for the first time in its history. 🏆#TotalEnergiesCAFSC | #SuperAfricaInTaif | @USMAofficielpic.twitter.com/PamQUIp7Bl
– African Super Cup 🏆 (@CAFCLCC_ar) September 15, 2023
Exciting match
The match was filled with excitement from the beginning, and the Algerian team started the match strongly, with Khaled Bousilo shooting a shot in the second minute that was brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy.
In the 12th minute, Nabil Lamara sent a ball into Al-Ahly’s penalty area from a free kick to the head of his colleague Tomisang Oribuni, but El-Shenawy saved the situation.
Kahraba then passed the ball to his new Moroccan colleague, Reda Selim, who was alone in the goal, but the USM goalkeeper brilliantly blocked his shot.
In the 26th minute, Kahraba fell inside the penalty area and the match referee returned to the video technology, but gave a yellow card to the striker amid strong objections.
After half an hour, Tunisian Ali Maaloul passed to his Moroccan colleague Salim, who shot a ball from the left of the area, but it was blocked by the USM goalkeeper.
In the fifth and final minute of stoppage time for the first half, Hussein Al-Shahat exchanged the ball wonderfully with Imam Ashour, and the latter shot a ball from the left of the penalty area, which was blocked by the Ittihad Al-Asimah goalkeeper after several previous attempts by Al-Ahly to equalize.
How beautiful those moments are! 🤩
🇩🇿 The moment USM Capital was declared champion of the African Super Cup. 🔴⚫️#TotalEnergiesCAFSC | #SuperAfricaInTaif pic.twitter.com/EYbxMLkkaY
– African Super Cup 🏆 (@CAFCLCC_ar) September 15, 2023
Al-Ahly rushed strongly at the start of the second half, and Al-Shahat passed the ball to his colleague Salim, but it almost missed the goalkeeper.
Then, Al-Shahat shot a free kick from outside the area, but it hit the defense, and Ali Maaloul also posed a lot of danger.
Al-Ahly made two changes in the 65th minute, with the participation of Percy Tau and Salah Mohsen, and the exit of Marwan Attia and Reda Selim.
The Union Capital goalkeeper saved a dangerous ball with his fingertips from Kahraba in the 73rd minute.
Al-Shenawy, Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper, blocked a dangerous attempt from the Algerian team, before Percy Tau shot a powerful ball that went wide of the goal in the 83rd minute.
Al-Ahly pressed hard in the last minutes, but the organized defense of the Algerian team prevented the Egyptian team from achieving an equalizer.
