Financially embattled Egyptian club Zamalek will pocket a record $4m CAF Confederation Cup prize if they beat Algerian outfit USM Alger in the two-leg final.

USM host the first match on Saturday in front of a 50,000 crowd and the return game is set for Cairo on May 16 in a showdown between former winners of the competition. Zamalek lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2024, while USM won in 2023.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently announced 100 percent increases in the prizes for the winners and runners-up to $4m and $2m, respectively. The decision was a timely boost for Zamalek, the second most successful club in CAF competitions with 13 titles, but battling with reported debts of $6.5m.

Egyptian media say the team, popularly known as the White Knights, owe clubs in Africa and Europe for players they brought to Cairo. Ukrainian club Oleksandriya claim they sold Brazilian striker Juan Bezerra to Zamalek, but some transfer fee instalments are overdue. Former coaches, including Swiss Christian Gross and Portuguese Jose Gomes, are also owed money. They and some players have turned to world body FIFA for help.

Should slight favourites Zamalek win the Confederation Cup a record-equalling third time, they would qualify for the CAF Super Cup, which offers a prize of $500,000. The final confirms the dominance of North African clubs in the second-tier African competition, with 17 victories in 22 finals.

Both final lineups will be captained by full-backs, Raadi Sadouani of USM and Omar Gaber of Zamalek, and the sides are a mix of local and foreign stars. Dramane Kamagate of USM has scored six goals in this season’s tournament, but all were netted for Ivory Coast club San Pedro before he moved to Algeria. Zamalek have scored 17 goals in the competition this season, with Bezerra and Tunisian Seifeddine Jaziri contributing four each.

Source: www.aljazeera.com