Zamalek Set Up Confederation Cup Final With RS Berkane

Egypt’s Zamalek qualified for the Africa Confederation Cup finals for the first time after holding Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel to a 0-0 draw at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse on Sunday.

The result sees the White Knights advance on a 1-0 aggregate and set up a final with Morocco’s RS Berkane, who upset CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in their semi-final match.

The first leg will be contested on May 19, in Morocco, before the return match in Egypt a week later.

Mahmous Kabraba was the hero for the Egyptians as his first-leg strike was the difference between the two sides as ESS were unable to score at their own backyard to take the tie to extra time.

Zamalek played one man down after goalkeeper Mahmoud Gennesh, who had earlier been booked for time-wasting tactics after he fell on the ground for several minutes, was red-carded after handling the ball outside the area late in the second stanza.

In the earlier semi-final, Morocco’s RS Berkane launched an emphatic comeback to oust another Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in a match at Stade Municipal de Berkane.

Sfaxien came into the match with a 2-0 lead from the first leg but Berkane came back strong at home to book a final spot for the first time in their history.

Togo forward Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba opened the scoring after converting a penalty in the 8th minute before Omar Namsaoui doubled the lead 11 minutes later.

Burkina Faso defender Issoufou Dayo added the decisive third in the 33rd minute, firing his side to the final of Africa’s secondary club competition.

The qualification of Zamalek and Berkane confirmed the dominance of north African sides in the Confederation Cup, which replaced the African Cup Winners Cup and CAF Cup competitions in 2004.

In the past 15 finals, 10 north African clubs have won the Confederation Cup trophy.