USM Alger reach Confederation Cup final after tense, delayed draw in Safi

USM Alger advanced to the CAF Confederation Cup final on away goals after a 1‑1 draw at Olympique Safi, concluding a semi‑final marked by crowd trouble and long stoppages. The tie finished level on aggregate following last week’s goalless first leg in Algiers, but USM progressed thanks to Ahmed Khaldi’s first‑half penalty, awarded after a handball deep into added time.

Kick‑off had been delayed eighty minutes as rival supporters threw projectiles, with reports of a Moroccan journalist taken to hospital. Safi needed two goals after falling behind and managed only one, a far‑post header from Senegalese substitute Moussa Kone on seventy‑five minutes. Despite fervent home support, they rarely threatened a second. The match was repeatedly halted amid disputes, feigned injuries, bottles on the pitch and fireworks drifting smoke across the stadium. USM, champions in 2023, now face Zamalek on May 9 and 16, with a record four‑million‑dollar prize on the line.