USM Alger favourites Confederation Cup final tag against Yanga dismissed

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CONFEDERATION CUP USM Alger favourites Confederation Cup final tag against Yanga dismissed

Kiplagat Sang • 16:51 - 27.05.2023

Ahead of the two-legged final, the Algerian outfit is seen as favourites to emerge champions.

USM Alger winger Abdelkrim Zouari has dismissed favourite tag labelled on them ahead of the CAF Confederation Cup final against Yanga.

The Algerian side will face the Tanzanian champions on Sunday for the first-leg showdown, with pundits and fans alike predicting Alger to lift their maiden continental title. 

Teams from North Africa have been dominant in this competition as well as in the Champions League, and this has somewhat convinced the majority of fans and analysts to bank on a win for Alger.

However, Zouari does not agree with the notion.

"One match cannot guarantee you a favorite tag for the final. For us, we are focused on the match and doing what the technical staff requires of us. We will do everything to try to win this title on the pitch," he told CAFOnline.

Just like Yanga, Alger have won domestic league trophies before but have yet to win a continental title.

"We are in the final, and that says a lot about how hard we have worked," Zouari said while speaking about the responsibility and pressure that come with playing for the club and in a final.

"We want to be crowned champions, and we will work hard for that. We want to win this for our fans and Algerian football as a whole.

"There is always pressure for results in Algerian football, and when you wear the colors of a big club, there must be similar pressure.

"In any case, we will deal with this matter with confidence, experience, and rationality in order to manage our situation well."

Unlike their ultimate rivals this season, Alger have been to a continental final before. They played in the final of the 2015 CAF Champions League and lost 4-1 on aggregate against TP Mazembe of the DR Congo.