USM Alger coach Lamine N’Diaye has warned his players against complacency after their narrow first-leg victory over Zamalek SC in the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final, insisting the contest remains far from decided ahead of the return match in Egypt.
The Algerian side secured a 1-0 win over the Egyptian giants on Saturday evening at the 5 July Olympic Stadium in Algiers, with Ahmed Khaldi converting a late penalty deep into added time to hand the hosts a crucial advantage.
Despite the victory, N’Diaye stressed after the match that the tie remains open and that his side cannot afford to lose focus before travelling to Cairo for the decisive second leg.
“The most important thing when playing finals is to win, whatever the performance. We must work to correct some technical aspects,” the Senegalese coach told reporters during his post-match press conference.
The result gave USM Alger a valuable lead against one of the most successful clubs in African football, but N’Diaye was quick to highlight Zamalek’s pedigree and experience in continental competitions.
“We achieved an important victory against a big team with continental experience, but the title has not been decided yet,” he added.
USM Alger were forced to work hard throughout a tense and closely contested encounter, with both teams showing caution for large periods of the match. Zamalek, determined to avoid conceding away from home, remained organised defensively and frustrated the Algerian side for much of the contest.
However, the breakthrough eventually came in stoppage time when the referee awarded a penalty to the home side. Ahmed Khaldi stepped up calmly and converted from the spot to send the home supporters into celebration and hand USM Alger a potentially decisive advantage.
The late goal dramatically shifted the momentum of the tie, leaving Zamalek with work to do ahead of the second leg in Cairo on 16 May.
Although disappointed by the result, the Egyptian side remain firmly in contention. Zamalek have built a strong reputation in African competitions over the years and will hope home support at Cairo International Stadium can help inspire a comeback.
For USM Alger, the challenge now will be managing the pressure of protecting their slender lead away from home. N’Diaye’s comments reflected an awareness that knockout ties at this stage of continental competition are rarely decided after one leg, especially against opponents with Zamalek’s experience and history.
The Algerian club will also know that a one-goal advantage offers little margin for error in Cairo, where the atmosphere is expected to be intense as Zamalek attempt to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes of continental silverware alive.
With both clubs still believing they can progress, the return leg promises to be another high-stakes encounter between two of African football’s biggest sides.
