USM Alger, an Algerian professional association football club, has gained entry to Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions on several occasions. They have represented Algeria in the CAF Champions League on seven occasions, the CAF Confederation Cup on seven occasions, the now-defunct African Cup Winners' Cup on five occasions, and the now-defunct CAF Cup once. The club won the CAF Confederation Cup in 2023 and 2026 and also captured the CAF Super Cup in 2023.
At the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA), they participated several times, representing Algeria in the Arab Champions League on five occasions and in the now-defunct Maghreb Cup Winners Cup on two occasions. The club's greatest achievement in Arab competitions came in 2013 when it won the UAFA Club Cup, securing its first and only Arab title.
History
Early years
USM Alger is one of Algeria’s most regular participants in Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions. African qualification for Algerian clubs is determined by their performances in the domestic league (Ligue Professionnelle 1) and the Algerian Cup. USM Alger most often qualified for the CAF Champions League (formerly African Cup of Champions Clubs) by winning the league title, while cup victories also allowed the club to compete in the now-defunct African Cup Winners' Cup and CAF Cup.
The club’s first participation in a CAF competition was in 1982 in the African Cup Winners' Cup and their first ever continental match ended in a 2–0 victory against CARA Brazzaville. During that 1982 campaign, USM Alger reached the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Ghanaian club Hearts of Oak. In 1989, USM Alger again reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup Winners’ Cup but withdrew from the tournament after losing the first leg at home against BFV of Madagascar at Omar Hamadi Stadium citing financial difficulties. The club then remained absent from continental competition for eight years, before returning in 1997.
In 1997, USM Alger made their first appearance in the CAF Champions League, starting with a 9–2 aggregate win over CD Travadores from Cape Verde. In the second round, they defeated Udoji United of Nigeria 3–2 on aggregate to qualify for the group stage. Drawn in Group A alongside Raja Casablanca, Primeiro de Agosto, and Orlando Pirates, USM Alger finished second with 11 points, recording three wins, two draws, and one defeat, the only loss being 2–1 away against Primeiro de Agosto. They narrowly missed qualification for the final, losing out on goal difference in favor of Raja Casablanca. The following year, in 1998, USM Alger participated in the Cup Winners' Cup, eliminating Ghapoha Readers of Ghana 2–0 on aggregate in the second round, before being knocked out in the quarter-finals by Primeiro de Agosto 5–1 on aggregate.
In 1999, the club entered the CAF Cup for the first and only time, qualifying past Horoya AC of Guinea on the away goals rule. In the second round, they dominated Al-Ahli Wad Madani of Sudan 7–0 on aggregate, in a tie where Tarek Hadj Adlane scored the first continental hat-trick in the club’s history. Their progress once again ended in the quarter-finals, eliminated by Wydad Casablanca on the away goals rule. USM Alger’s biggest CAF win came in 2004, when they defeated ASFA Yennenga 8–1, the highest margin recorded by the club in African competition. The club’s heaviest defeats include a major aggregate loss to Primeiro de Agosto in 1998, and another 3–0 away defeat to US Bitam of Gabon in 2013.
USM Alger's Continental Campaigns (2000–2007): From Promising Runs to Decline USM Alger began participating consistently in various African competitions such as the African Cup Winners' Cup, CAF Cup, CAF Confederation Cup, and the CAF Champions League until 2007, except in 2001. That year, the team was banned from participating in any African competition due to fielding an ineligible player Burkinabé goalkeeper Siaka Coulibaly against JS du Ténéré from Niger in the second leg of the 2000 African Cup Winners' Cup. In the 2002 African Cup Winners' Cup, USMA reached the semi-finals. In the first round, they defeated Gazelle FC from Chad with a 6–1 aggregate score. In the next round, they overcame Mangasport of Gabon with a 3–1 aggregate. In the quarter-finals, they achieved a dominant 11–3 aggregate win over US Transfoot from Madagascar. However, their run ended in the semi-finals against WAC Casablanca, with a 2–2 aggregate score, as the Moroccan side advanced on the away goals rule.
In the 2003 CAF Champions League, USMA first faced Wallidan FC of Gambia and won 3–2 on aggregate. They then played Stade Malien, winning 3–1 on aggregate. The second leg was held in Constantine instead of Algiers due to a CAF imposed sanction following crowd trouble in the 2002 African Cup Winners' Cup semi-final against Wydad. USMA advanced to the group stage and were placed in Group B alongside Espérance of Tunisia, Canon Yaoundé of Cameroon, and Atlético Sport Aviação of Angola. After losing their first two matches 1–0 away and 1–0 at home to Espérance they recovered with three consecutive wins, defeating Canon Yaoundé twice and ASA 2–0, securing a place in the semi-finals. There, they faced Enyimba of Nigeria and were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate.
In the 2004 CAF Champions League, USMA were eliminated in the group stage. They began with a 10–3 aggregate win over ASFA Yennenga of Burkina Faso, with Malian international Mamadou Diallo scoring a hat-trick in the second leg. He finished as the competition’s top scorer with 10 goals. In the next round, they overcame Asante Kotoko of Ghana via a 3–1 penalty shootout after a tied aggregate score, advancing to the group stage, where they were drawn with Espérance, Jeanne d'Arc of Senegal, and Supersport United of South Africa. USMA managed only seven points from two wins, one draw, and three defeats, finishing third and failing to advance.
After that, USMA's continental results began to decline. In the 2005 CAF Champions League, they failed to reach the group stage. They defeated Olympic Azzaweya of Libya 7–0 on aggregate but were eliminated by Egyptian side Al Ahly SC with a 3–2 aggregate loss. Subsequently, they dropped into the 2005 CAF Confederation Cup, where they were knocked out by Tunisia’s AS Marsa in a 5–4 penalty shootout. In the 2006 CAF Confederation Cup, USMA beat Rail Club du Kadiogo of Burkina Faso 2–1 on aggregate in the preliminary round but were eliminated in the first round by ASC Port Autonome of Senegal, 3–2 on aggregate. Their continental performance hit a low in 2007 when they were eliminated in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League by AS GNN of Niger.
The era of Ali Haddad and first CAF Champions League final
In the 2013 CAF Confederation Cup, USM Alger failed to progress beyond the second round. After eliminating their first opponents, they were knocked out by the Gabonese side US Bitam, losing 3–0 on aggregate.
After an eight-year absence from Africa's premier club competition, USM Alger returned to the 2015 CAF Champions League. They began their campaign in the preliminary round against Chadian club Foullah Edifice. USMA won the first leg 3–1, but lost the return leg by the same scoreline. They nevertheless advanced to the next round on the away goals rule.
In the first round, they comfortably eliminated Senegalese side AS Pikine with a 6–2 aggregate victory before defeating Guinean club AS Kaloum 3–2 on aggregate in the second round, securing qualification for the group stage for the first time in eleven years. on aggregate, in the second round against Club Guinea AS Kaloum to qualify on aggregate 3–2
Following the departure of head coach Velud, Miloud Hamdi took charge on an interim basis at the start of the group stage. USM Alger opened their campaign with a 2–1 home victory over ES Sétif before defeating Sudanese club Al Merrikh 2–1 thanks to a goal from Youcef Belaïli. They then completed a home-and-away double over fellow Algerian side MC El Eulma, winning 3–1 on aggregate to secure qualification for the semi-finals with two matches remaining. USMA later defeated ES Sétif 3–0 before concluding the group stage with a narrow 1–0 defeat away to Al Merrikh, finishing top of the group.
In the semi-finals, USM Alger faced Sudanese giants Al-Hilal. In the first leg in Omdurman, the hosts took the lead through Careca, but Aoudia equalised in the 13th minute. Young forward Baïteche then scored the winning goal in the 67th minute to give USMA a valuable 2–1 away victory. The second leg in Algiers ended in a goalless draw, sending USM Alger to their first-ever CAF Champions League final.
In the final, USM Alger met five-time African champions TP Mazembe. Hampered by the absence of several key players due to injuries and suspensions, USMA lost the first leg 2–1 at home, with Seguer scoring a late consolation goal. In the return leg in Lubumbashi, TP Mazembe proved too strong, winning 2–0 to claim the title with a 4–1 aggregate victory, while USM Alger finished runners-up in the competition.
In the CAF Champions League they faced in the first round Rail Club du Kadiogo and won with difficulty in going 2–0 have signed in the last 20 minutes. after that in the second leg were defeated by a single goal was enough to qualify for the group stage but with the end of the game the players, USMA supporters and Algerian journalists were assaulted by RC Kadiogo supporters who stormed pitch to intervene after that the Algerian ambassador in Ouagadougou, who asked local officials to protect the Algerian team until his return to Algeria. two days later, the sports minister of Burkina Faso apologized for what happened to the team.
In the group stage of the CAF Champions League, the team signed in group B with Zamalek, CAPS United from Zimbabwe and Al-Ahli Tripoli of Libya. this is the first time the USMA has played against these clubs in continental competitions and for the first time against a club from Zimbabwe in the same context, the USM Alger Administration decided to receive its competitors in the Stade du 5 Juillet. The first match was against Al-Ahli Tripoli and ended with the victory of the USM Alger lead to three goals recording by Chafaï, Andria and Darfalou. in the second game against CAPS United at National Sports Stadium in Harare USMA narrowly defeated 2–1 in the final minutes. The start of the matches was difficult because of the great heat and the first half ended 1–0 for the hosts However, in the second half the Union was able to modify the result by defender Abdellaoui, the first in his history as a professional player but despite the control of the Union that a mistake in the defense cost the team the goal of the game for CAPS United. Then in the third round against Zamalek, the team returned with a valuable draw, although he was able to win without the goal he received in the last minute after the error of goalkeeper Zemmamouche star of the game. the coach Put said after the end of the games that his team lost the win but the draw is considered positive and hope is still great to reach the quarter-finals.