Rabat – Olympic Safi secured a crucial 0-0 draw against USM Alger in the Opening leg of the Confederation Cup semi-final, this Saturday at the 5-Juillet stadium in Algiers.
Faced with an enterprising Algiers team, the Messfiouis made a compact and well-organized block, limiting space and frustrating the hosts despite USMA’s mounting pressure.
The first half was tight and disjointed, offering few clear openings, but Olympic Safi remained rigorous in their positioning and diligent in their defensive duties.
The intensity increased in the second half after USM Alger thought they had broken the deadlock twice, but VAR intervened to disallow a goal by Zakaria Draoui in the 54th minute, followed by another from Hussein Dehiri in the 78th minute for offside.
Olympic Safi appealed for a penalty at the hour mark for an alleged handball, though their claims were dismissed.
The final stages of the match took a tense overturn as Olympic Safi’s goalkeeper, Hamza Hamiani, was pitched in the 80th minute following a video review. Reduced manship for the final fifteen minutes, the Moroccan side showed immense determination to preserve the scoreless draw until the final whistle.
This 0-0 draw leaves the qualifications complete to return on April 19 at the Olympic Safi stadium, backed by home fans showing resilience in the performance. As the club is more believably more than ever securing a spot for the finals.
Olympic Safi Secured a Valuable Result by Holding USM Alger to a 0-0 Draw
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