By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (May 18^th 2024)

The Early Years

The tournament was established in 2004 by the merger of the CAF Cup and Africa’s Cup Winners Cup. Accra’s Hearts of Oak was the inaugural Confederation Cup champion after defeating local rivals Asante Kotoko 8-7 on penalties after two 1-1 draws.

Tunisia’s (Club Sportif) CS Sfaxien became the competition’s most successful team with three wins (2007, 2008 and the record-extending third triumph in 2013. In 2007 and 2013 they won on aggregate, 5-2 against Al-Merreikh, and 3-2 over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP (Tout Puissant) Mazembe respectively.

CS Sfaxien also made Confederation Cup history in 2008 when they became the first club to retain the title against compatriots Étoile Sportive (ES) du Sahel on away goals (2-2). They are the second Tunisian club to win the Confederation Cup, following ES du Sahel who defeated the defending champions, Association Sportive des Forces Armées Royales (ASFAR) of Rabat on away goals (1-1) in 2006.

ASFAR was Morocco’s first Confederation Cup winners after beating Nigeria’s Dolphin FC 3-1 on aggregate. Raja Casablanca was the first Moroccan team to win the competition twice – 2018, 4-3 against the DRC’s (Association Sportive) AS Vita Club and 2021, 2-1 in a one-leg final at Stade de l’Amitié in Cotonou, Bénin, against Algeria’s (Jeunesse Sportive) JS de Kabylie.

Controversies

The 2019-2020 final was the last two-legged final before the change in format which coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic. Zamalek became Egypt’s first and, so far, only Confederation Cup champions after beating RS Berkane 5-3 on penalties after they drew 1-1 on aggregate.

RS Berkane made up for the disappointment the following year, beating Egypt’s Pyramids 1-0 in October 2020 at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (the home ground of Morocco’s first Confederation Cup champions. This was during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Berkane regained the trophy in 2022, beating South Africa’s Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes at Nigeria’s Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Last year the format the final returned to two legs. Union Sportive de la Médine Alger, usually known as USM Alger or USMA became the first Algerian winners of the Confederation Cup after beating Tanzania’s Young Africans (Sports Club) SC, better known as Yanga, on away goals after a 2-2 draw.

Berkane is seeking a record-equalling third Confederation Cup title, although the way they qualified for the final has left a bitter taste for Algerians, especially USM Alger, who were eliminated 6-0 without a ball being kicked after a diplomatic row over the Western Sahara.