USM Alger survive late scare to edge San Pedro 3-2 in CAF Confederation Cup thriller

USM Alger began their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over San Pedro on Sunday, November 23, at the July 5 Stadium.

The Algerians looked firmly in control early on, breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute when a poorly cleared corner fell kindly to Houssameddine Ghacha, who unleashed a powerful strike from 25 meters to give his side the lead.

USM continued to push for more, with Saâdi Redouani and Ahmed Khaldi both testing goalkeeper Kipré in the 34th and 35th minutes, only to be denied by his sharp reflexes.

San Pedro, struggling to connect play in midfield, leaned heavily on quick counter-attacks in search of a breakthrough.

Their clearest moment came four minutes before halftime when Moussa Koné went down in the box under pressure from an Algerian defender, but the referee waved play on, much to the frustration of the visitors.

The first half ended with USM Alger ahead, though not yet out of danger.

San Pedro returned from the break energised and nearly equalised in the 52nd minute, but Fofana’s header flashed wide of Benbot’s post.

That miss proved costly, as USM doubled their advantage eight minutes later through a towering header from Adem Aliliet.

Dramane Kamagate reignited the contest in the 65th minute by pulling a goal back, sparking new momentum for the Ivorian side. He nearly drew them level with a spirited solo run in the 79th minute but failed to apply the finishing touch.

USM restored their cushion in the 81st minute when Radouani struck to make it 3-1, seemingly sealing the result.

San Pedro refused to surrender and snatched a late consolation through Karamoko deep into stoppage time, but it was not enough to stop USM Alger from claiming all three points despite several nervous moments.

The Algerian giants walk away with an important victory, though the narrow scoreline will surely prompt reflection ahead of their next group-stage test. The team will next face OC Safi in Round 2 of the CAF Confederation group matches.