USM Alger head coach Lamine N’Diaye believes his side are within touching distance of continental glory after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Zamalek SC in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final.
Ahmed Khaldi’s controversial 98th-minute penalty at the Stade du 5 Juillet gave the Algerian side a slim but crucial advantage heading into the return leg in Cairo next weekend.
The decisive moment came after a dramatic VAR intervention in stoppage time, which overturned a late Zamalek goal by Juan Alvina and instead awarded a penalty at the other end.
Until then, the Egyptian giants had struggled to threaten consistently, while USM Alger also found it difficult to create clear chances in the final third.
Despite the tight contest, N’Diaye praised the determination of his players and described the victory as vital in the context of the two-legged final.
“The most important thing when playing finals is to win, whatever the performance. We must work to correct some technical aspects,” he said.
“We achieved an important victory against a big team with continental experience, but the title has not been decided yet. We are one match away from winning the title, and we will fight to return from Egypt with the cup.”
The Senegalese coach also reserved praise for the supporters and players who helped secure the hard-fought win.
“Thank you to the players for the strong spirit they showed. I thank the supporters who were behind this victory,” he added.
USM Alger now travel to Cairo for the second leg knowing Zamalek will pose a far greater threat on home soil as they chase a comeback in the final.
