Zamalek travel to Algeria’s USM Algiers on Saturday for the first leg of the Confederation Cup final on Saturday.
Published May 8, 2026
Financially struggling Egyptian club Zamalek will win a record $4 million in CAF Confederation Cup prize money if they defeat Algerian powerhouse USM Algiers in the two-legged final.
USM will host the first match on Saturday in front of a crowd of 50,000, with the return match scheduled for May 16 in Cairo, featuring a showdown between former tournament winners.
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Zamalek lifted the African trophy, equivalent to the UEFA Europa League, in 2019 and 2024, while USM won it in 2023.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced a 100% increase in prize money for the winners and runners-up to $4 million and $2 million respectively.
The decision was a timely boost for Zamalek, who have won 13 titles and are the second most successful club in CAF competitions, but are battling a reported $6.5 million in debt.
Egyptian media have reported that the team, commonly known as the White Knights, is indebted to African and European clubs for bringing players to Cairo.
Ukrainian club Oleksandria has sold Brazilian striker Juan Bezerra to Zamalek, but has announced that they have been unable to pay part of the transfer fee.
Former coaches, including Swiss Christian Gross and Portuguese Jose Gomez, are also in debt. They and some players turned to world body FIFA for help.
Former Tottenham manager Gross led Zamalek to victory in the 2019 Confederation Cup final against Moroccan club Renaissance Belkan. Gomez repeated the feat five years later against Belcan.
If close favorites Zamalek win the Confederation Cup for a record-tying third time, they will qualify for the CAF Super Cup, which offers a prize of $500,000.
The Super Cup is an annual match between the winner of the CAF Champions League (this season, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns or Morocco’s FAR Rabat) and the Confederation Cup.
With USM and Zamalek reaching the final, the North African clubs confirmed their dominance in the African second division competition with 17 wins from 22 finals.
Area dominated by North Africa
Tunisian clubs CS Sfaxien and Belkan share the record with three titles each. Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel, Morocco’s Rajah Casablanca and Zamalek are among the four double winners.
This season, six of the eight quarter-finalists were from the North, and all four semi-finalists were from the North.
Zamalek returned to Algeria after defeating the country’s other challenger, Chabab Beloizdad, in the semi-finals.
Bezerra scored the only goal of the first leg against Algiers, and the tense return match ended goalless.
USM defeated Olympique Safi, who were playing for the first time in Africa, away in the group stage and drew at home, but after two draws they defeated Morocco on away goals in the semi-finals.
Ahmed Khaldi scored USM’s penalty just before half-time in the second leg, which suffered pre-match crowd trouble due to pitch intrusion.
Both final line-ups will be captained by full-backs, USM’s Raadi Saduani and Zamalek’s Omar Gabbar, with a mix of local and foreign stars on both flanks.
USM’s Dramanu Kamagate has scored six goals in this season’s tournaments, all of which came for Ivorian club San Pedro before moving to Algeria.
Cameroonian Che Malone is likely to partner Hosin Dehiri in central defense for USM, who took away goals to Tanzania’s Young Africans in the 2023 final.
Zamalek have scored 17 goals in the competition this season. Bezerra and Tunisia’s Seifeddine Jaziri each contributed four points, while Palestine’s Odei Dabag contributed three.
Regardless of the outcome of the final, both clubs will have another chance next season.
Zamalek, who lead the Egyptian Premier League, will qualify for either the Champions League or the Confederation Cup. Algerian FA Cup winners USM return to the Confederation Cup.
