By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon international Che Malone Fondoh will feature in a second consecutive TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final after helping USM Alger edge past Olympic Club de Safi in the semi-finals.
The Algerian side progressed following a 1-1 aggregate draw, advancing on the away goals rule after a tense second-leg encounter in Morocco. USM Alger secured a crucial away goal in the 1-1 draw, having earlier been held to a goalless stalemate in Algiers.
The result confirms their place in the 2026 final and underlines their growing pedigree in the competition, having previously lifted the trophy in 2023.
For Malone, it marks a remarkable personal milestone. The centre-back, who joined the Algerian club in 2025, has now reached back-to-back finals in Africa’s second-tier club competition, following his appearance with Simba SC in last season’s final, where the Tanzanian side fell short.
At 26, the defender continues to establish himself as one of Cameroon’s most consistent exports on the continent, playing a key role in a USM Alger defence that has held firm throughout the knockout stages.
The semi-final itself was finely balanced across both legs. The first meeting ended 0-0 in Algiers despite USM Alger’s dominance and a late red card for the Moroccan visitors. The return leg in Safi proved equally tight, with both sides finding the net but unable to separate themselves beyond the aggregate deadlock.
Attention now turns to a heavyweight final against Egyptian giants Zamalek SC. The two-legged showdown will see the first leg played in Algiers on 9 May, before the decisive return leg in Cairo a week later.
USM Alger are chasing a second Confederation Cup crown in three years, while Zamalek aim to add to their continental pedigree, setting up what promises to be a fiercely contested North African final.
For Che Malone, meanwhile, the opportunity to go one step further this time offers a chance to turn near-miss into continental glory.
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