With the CAF Confederation Cup heading towards the business end of the campaign, CR Belouizdad and Zamalek will commence their first-leg semifinal tie at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki on Friday.
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Kick-off is at 9:00pm (CAT, GMT+2).
CURRENT FORM
CR Belouizdad booked their ticket to the final four courtesy of a 1-1 aggregate result over Al Masry, winning on the away goals rule in the quarterfinals on 21 March.
Al Masry and Belouizdad took to the Borg El Arab Stadium in the first quarterfinal leg on 14 March, as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Salah Mohsen scored from the spot to give Al Masry the lead in the 55th minute, while Lofti Boussouar gave Belouizdad a lifeline by scoring in the 91st minute.
The return fixture took place at the Nelson Mandela Stadium on 21 March and subsequently ended in a 0-0 stalemate, as Boussouar’s away goal made the difference.
Zamalek on the other hand, secured their path to the semifinals via a 3-2 win on aggregate against Otoho d’Oyo on 22 March.
Otoho hosted Zamalek in the first fixture at Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat on 14 March with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. The Congolese side then made the trip to Cairo in the second-leg, as Zamalek advanced via a 2-1 win at the Cairo International Stadium on 22 March.
Zamalek built a 2-0 lead before the break following goals by Hossam Abdelmaguid and Oday Dabbagh, while Grace Mavoungou scored a consolation goal seven minutes from time.
WHAT WAS SAID
While Zamalek will go into their next match on the back of a dominant 4-1 win over Al Masry in the Egyptian Premier League, Moataz Gamal lamented his side’s inability to convert chances, an aspect of their gameplay that will be crucial in the two legs of the CAF Confederations Cup.
“I am sad because of the many opportunities missed in the Al-Masry match,” Gamal said.
“But I must thank the players because they gave their best, along with the great fans who deserve this joy.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Zamalek: Oday Dabbagh – Dabbagh comes into the game as one of Zamalek’s most recent scorers in the competition, most notably after he scored in the second-leg of his side’s quarterfinal win over Otoho d’Oyo. With confidence in his stride, Dabbagh will once again look to make his presence felt in another high profile encounter this weekend.
CR Belouizdad: Youcef Laouafi – Following a string of performances in the last couple of weeks, Laouafi was recently named as Belouizdad’s player of the month for March. The defender will thus be tasked to shut down Zamalek’s attack, while adding attacking impetus at the same time.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Games: 2
CR Belouizdad wins: 2
Zamalek wins: 0
Draws: 0