Zamalek win CAF Super Cup 3-1 against Esperance

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:03 pm

Zamalek defeated Esperance de Tunis 3-1 to win their 4th CAF Super Cup thanks to a second half Bencharki brace following Obama’s early opener and Benguit’s equaliser.

Esperance de Tunis XI: Ben Cherifia; Derbali, Yaakoubi, Chemmam, Chetti; Benguit, Coulibaly; Bensaha, Bonsu, Elhouni; Ouattara.

Zamalek XI: Abou Gabal; Emam, Alaa, Hamdi, Abdel Shafy; Zizo, Hamed, Sassi, Bencharki; Obama, Mohamed.

The CAF Super Cup match up was settled last year when Esperance de Tunis controversially retained their CAF Champions League title against Wydad Casablanca several months after Zamalek defeated RS Berkane to win their maiden CAF Confederation Cup.

Despite coming into the Super Cup as the winner of the less prestigious trophy, it was Zamalek who made the brightest start when Youssef Obama broke the deadlock two minutes in.

Zamalek were then happy to see out the half with less of the ball as Esperance struggled to make the initial breakthrough.

Esperance picked up where they left off in the second half by pushing for an equaliser, and this came from the source of central midfielder Abdelraouf Benguit, who seems to have found an eye for goal in his early days at the Tunisian club.

Moments later, however, Zamalek put themselves back in the lead through Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki.

Esperance threw everything they had at finding an equaliser once again, using all three substitutions in quick succession. Despite their best efforts they were unable to do so and Zamalek even extended their lead in additional time as Bencharki doubled his account.

The 3-1 win seals Zamalek’s fourth CAF Super Cup, putting them clear of TP Mazembe as the outright second most successful club in the competition behind Al Ahly.

Zamalek’s next game is against bitter rivals Al Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup on Thursday 20th February at 7PM local time.