Zamalek is champion of the African Confederation Cup for the second time
Egyptian club Zamalek were crowned champions of the CAF Confederation Cup for the second time in their history after defeating Moroccan side RS Berkane 1-0 yesterday, Sunday, at Cairo International Stadium in the second leg of the final.
The Egyptian giants owe their victory to star Ahmed Hamdi, who scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute.
The “White Castle” team benefited from the away goals rule after losing 1-2 in the first leg at the Berkane Municipal Stadium 2 weeks ago. This secured their second title after 2019 when they also defeated RS Berkane, thus denying the latter their third title after 2020 and 2022.
Additionally, Zamalek became the first Egyptian team to win the CAF Confederation Cup twice in its history.
The team’s Portuguese coach, José Gomes, said his team deserved the victory and the title, adding, “There is no secret to success; we work as a family, share decisions, and build for the greater good.”
He noted that the match was not easy, “The difference between the first and second legs was the way we started the confrontation. I congratulate RS Berkane, who were a tough opponent, but Zamalek players deserve the title, and I thank the club’s fans—they are the champions.”
RS Berkane’s Tunisian coach, Mouine Chaabani, congratulated his team for reaching the final, saying, “We played a match worthy of RS Berkane’s name, but the match was not open. We were late in getting into the game properly and could not move the ball as needed.”
He added, “I believe there was a penalty for our team that the referee did not award. The incident should have been reviewed by VAR so my team does not suffer an injustice. I do not know why the penalty was not awarded.”
