2023 CAF Confederation Cup final

The 2023 CAF Confederation Cup final were the final matches of the 2022–23 CAF Confederation Cup, the 20th season of the CAF Confederation Cup and the 48th season overall of Africa's secondary club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

2023 CAF Confederation Cup final

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Final 2023
Match programme cover
Event	2022–23 CAF Confederation Cup
Young Africans USM Alger 2 2
USM Alger won on away goals
First leg
Young Africans USM Alger 1 2
Date	28 May 2023 (2023-05-28)
Venue	Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam
Referee	Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
Attendance	60,000
Weather	Light rain showers 26 °C (79 °F) 87% humidity
Second leg
USM Alger Young Africans 0 1
Date	3 June 2023 (2023-06-03)
Venue	Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers
Referee	Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
Attendance	64,000
Weather	Light rain showers 19 °C (66 °F) 86% humidity
← 2022 2024 →

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Young Africans from Tanzania and USM Alger from Algeria. The first leg was hosted by Young Africans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on 28 May 2023, while the second leg was hosted by USM Alger at the Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers on 3 June 2023.

USM Alger won against Young Africans by away goal rule, after a 2–2 draw, which the Algerian side scored twice away in the 2–1 win earlier.

Background

Young Africans became the first Tanzanian club to reach the CAF Confederation Cup final and the second continental final for Tanzanian clubs, also the first club from CECAFA to reach a continental final since 1993 by Simba Sports Club in the CAF Cup.^[1]

USM Alger it is the second time has reached a continental final after the CAF Champions League final in 2015 against TP Mazembe where they was defeated. This was the fourth CAF Confederation Cup final for the algerian club after ES Sétif, MO Béjaïa and JS Kabylie who were all defeated. USM Alger is looking for the first continental title, especially since the second leg is played in Algeria.^[2]

Previous finals

Team	Zone	Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Young Africans	CECAFA (East Africa)	none
USM Alger	UNAF (North Africa)	none

Venues

After playing the final in the last three copies in a neutral land, the return was made to the previous home and away system and the first leg in Dar es Salaam will be played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on May 28. It opened in 2007 and was built adjacent to Uhuru Stadium, the former national stadium. It hosts major football matches such as the Tanzanian Premier League and home matches of the Tanzania national football team, the second leg at Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers on June 3 where the winners will lift the trophy. It opened in 1972 and served as the main stadium of the 1975 Mediterranean Games, the 1978 All-Africa Games, the 2004 Pan Arab Games, and the 2007 All-Africa Games. The stadium was one of two venues of the 1990 African Cup of Nations (the other venue was the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Annaba).

Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania hosted the first leg.

Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers, Algeria hosted the second leg.

Road to the final

Further information: 2022–23 CAF Confederation Cup

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Young Africans				Round	USM Alger
CAF Champions League					CAF Confederation Cup
Opponent	Agg.	1st leg	2nd leg	Qualifying rounds (CL, CC)	Opponent	Agg.	1st leg	2nd leg
Zalan	9–0	4–0 (A)	5–0 (H)	First round	Bye
Al Hilal	1–2	1–1 (H)	0–1 (A)	Second round	ASC Kara	4–1	2–0 (A)	2–1 (H)
CAF Confederation Cup
Club Africain	1–0	0–0 (H)	1–0 (A)	Playoff round	Cape Town City	1–0	0–0 (A)	1–0 (H)
Opponent	Result			Group stage	Opponent	Result
Union Monatirienne	0–2 (A)			Matchday 1	Saint-Éloi Lupopo	3–0 (H)
TP Mazembe	3–1 (H)			Matchday 2	Al Akhdar	1–1 (A)
Real Bamako	1–1 (A)			Matchday 3	Marumo Gallants	2–0 (H)
Real Bamako	2–0 (H)			Matchday 4	Marumo Gallants	0–2 (A)
Union Monatirienne	2–0 (H)			Matchday 5	Saint-Éloi Lupopo	1–1 (A)
TP Mazembe	1–0 (A)			Matchday 6	Al Akhdar	4–1 (H)
Group D winners Pos Team v t e Pld Pts 1 Young Africans 6 13 2 Union Monastirienne 6 13 3 Real Bamako 6 5 4 TP Mazembe 6 3 Source: CAF				Final standings	Group A runners-up Pos Team v t e Pld Pts 1 Marumo Gallants 6 12 2 USM Alger 6 11 3 Saint-Éloi Lupopo 6 5 4 Al Akhdar 6 5 Source: CAF
Opponent	Agg.	1st leg	2nd leg	Knockout stage	Opponent	Agg.	1st leg	2nd leg
Rivers United	2–0	2–0 (A)	0–0 (H)	Quarter-finals	ASFAR	4–3	2–0 (H)	2–3 (A)
Marumo Gallants	4–1	2–0 (H)	2–1 (A)	Semi-finals	ASEC Mimosas	2–0	0–0 (A)	2–0 (H)

Format

The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis.

If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still equal, extra time was played, and a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner.

Matches

First leg

Details

28 May 2023 (2023-05-28)

16:00 UTC+3

Young Africans	1–2	USM Alger
Mayele 82'	Report	Mahious 32' Merili 84'

Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam

Attendance: 60,000

Referee: Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)

Young Africans

USM Alger

GK 39 Djigui Diarra DF 4 Yannick Bangala Litombo DF 5 Dickson Job  30'  76' DF 3 Bakari Mwamnyeto (c) DF 15 Kibwana Shomari  76' DF 2 Ibrahim Abdallah Hamad MF 27 Mudathir Yahya FW 10 Stephane Aziz Ki  66' FW 25 Kennedy Musonda  86' FW 29 Tuisila Kisinda  76' FW 9 Fiston Mayele Substitutes: GK 1 Metacha Mnata DF 13 Joyce Lomalisa  76' DF 21 Djuma Shabani  76' MF 12 Jesus Ducapel Moloko MF 17 Faridi Mussa MF 18 Salum Abubakar  66' MF 20 Zawadi Mauya FW 33 Bernard Morrison  76' FW 40 Clement Franses Mzize  86' Head Coach: Nasreddine Nabi

GK 25 Oussama Benbot  90' DF 19 Saâdi Radouani DF 12 Haithem Loucif DF 4 Zineddine Belaïd (c) DF 21 Adam Alilet  60' MF 6 Oussama Chita  49' MF 14 Brahim Benzaza  80'  86' MF 8 Islam Merili  90+8' FW 23 Khaled Bousseliou  86' FW 31 Tumisang Orebonye  90+8' FW 18 Aymen Mahious  71' Substitutes: GK 16 Imad Benchlef DF 3 Abdelkader Belharrane DF 27 Ibrahim Bekakchi MF 15 Messala Merbah  86' MF 24 Taher Benkhelifa  90+8' MF 26 Akram Djahnit  90+8' FW 7 Ismail Belkacemi  86' FW 10 Abderrahmane Meziane  71' FW 20 Zakaria Alharaish Manager: Abdelhak Benchikha

Assistant referees: Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) Olivier Safari Kabene (DR Congo) Fourth official: Ahmad Imtehaz Heeralall (Mauritius) Video assistant referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya) Assistant video assistant referees: Akuna Maklama (South Africa) Mohammed Abdallah Ibrahim (Sudan)

Match rules 90 minutes. Nine named substitutes, of which up to five may be used.[note 1]

Statistics

First half[3] Statistic Young Africans USM Alger Goals scored 0 1 Total shots 0 0 Shots on target 0 0 Saves 0 0 Ball possession 60% 40% Corner kicks 0 0 Offsides 0 0 Yellow cards 1 0 Red cards 0 0

Second half[3] Statistic Young Africans USM Alger Goals scored 1 1 Total shots 0 0 Shots on target 0 0 Saves 0 0 Ball possession 70% 30% Corner kicks 0 0 Offsides 0 0 Yellow cards 0 4 Red cards 0 0

Overall[3] Statistic Young Africans USM Alger Goals scored 1 2 Total shots 15 11 Shots on target 4 6 Saves 0 0 Ball possession 65% 35% Corner kicks 9 5 Offsides 1 0 Yellow cards 1 4 Red cards 0 0

Second leg

Details

3 June 2023 (2023-06-03)

20:00 UTC+1

USM Alger	0–1	Young Africans
	Report	Shabani 7' (pen.)

Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers

Attendance: 64,000

Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)

USM Alger

Young Africans

GK 25 Oussama Benbot DF 19 Saâdi Radouani DF 12 Haithem Loucif DF 4 Zineddine Belaïd (c) DF 21 Adam Alilet MF 6 Oussama Chita MF 15 Messala Merbah  45' MF 8 Islam Merili MF 23 Khaled Bousseliou  74' FW 31 Tumisang Orebonye  78' FW 18 Aymen Mahious  5'  90+5' Substitutes: GK 16 Imad Benchlef DF 3 Abdelkader Belharrane DF 5 Mustapha Bouchina DF 27 Ibrahim Bekakchi MF 24 Taher Benkhelifa  90+5' MF 26 Akram Djahnit FW 7 Ismail Belkacemi  74' FW 10 Abderrahmane Meziane  45' FW 20 Zakaria Alharaish Manager: Abdelhak Benchikha

GK 39 Djigui Diarra DF 21 Djuma Shabani  83' DF 2 Ibrahim Abdallah Hamad DF 3 Bakari Mwamnyeto (c)  67' DF 5 Dickson Job MF 27 Mudathir Yahya  74'  84' MF 18 Salum Abubakar MF 29 Tuisila Kisinda  62' MF 13 Joyce Lomalisa  15'  84' FW 9 Fiston Mayele FW 25 Kennedy Musonda  72' Substitutes: GK 1 Metacha Mnata DF 4 Yannick Bangala Litombo DF 15 Kibwana Shomari MF 12 Jesus Ducapel Moloko  83' MF 17 Faridi Mussa  84' MF 20 Zawadi Mauya FW 10 Stephane Aziz Ki  72' FW 33 Bernard Morrison  90'  62' FW 40 Clement Franses Mzize  84' Head Coach: Nasreddine Nabi

Assistant referees: Jerson Emiliano dos Santos (Angola) Arsénio Chadreque Marengula (Mozambique) Fourth official: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan) Video assistant referee: Mahmoud Mohamed Ashour (Egypt) Assistant video assistant referees: Mohamed Adel (Egypt) Mahmoud Abo El Regal (Egypt)

Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shoot-out if tied on aggregate and away goals. Nine named substitutes, of which up to five may be used.[note 1]

Statistics

First half[4] Statistic USM Alger Young Africans Goals scored 0 1 Total shots 7 3 Shots on target 3 1 Saves 0 3 Ball possession 43% 57% Corner kicks 1 0 Offsides 0 2 Yellow cards 1 1 Red cards 0 0

Second half[4] Statistic USM Alger Young Africans Goals scored 0 0 Total shots 9 4 Shots on target 2 2 Saves 2 2 Ball possession 49% 51% Corner kicks 1 2 Offsides 0 0 Yellow cards 1 3 Red cards 0 0

Overall[4] Statistic USM Alger Young Africans Goals scored 0 1 Total shots 16 7 Shots on target 5 3 Saves 2 5 Ball possession 46% 54% Corner kicks 2 2 Offsides 0 2 Yellow cards 2 4 Red cards 0 0

See also

• 2023 CAF Champions League Final
• 2023 CAF Super Cup

Notes

1. Each team was only given three opportunities to make substitutions, excluding substitutions made at half-time.