The decisive moment came in the 75th minute, when Congolese forward Fiston Mayele found the back of the net with a well-taken finish, securing the historic triumph for the Egyptian side and sparking jubilant celebrations among the home fans.

This victory marks Pyramids FC’s first TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup crown and their second continental title overall, following their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League triumph last season.

The achievement underlines the club’s remarkable rise on both the domestic and continental stages, establishing Pyramids as a new powerhouse in African football.

RS Berkane, champions of the 2021 edition, were denied a second TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup title despite a spirited performance.

Coach Mouine Chaâbani’s men pushed hard to find an equaliser after Mayele’s goal but were met by a resolute Egyptian defense and an inspired goalkeeper, Ahmed El Shenawy, who delivered an exceptional display between the posts.

Pyramids’ defensive duo, Ahmed Sami and Mahmoud Marei, stood firm to preserve the lead, while head coach Krunoslav Jurčić orchestrated a tactical masterclass from the sidelines, reading the game brilliantly and making decisive adjustments during the crucial stages of the encounter.

At the final whistle, scenes of elation erupted among the Pyramids players, staff, and supporters, as they celebrated a landmark achievement that reinforces Egypt’s continued dominance in African club competitions.

On the other side, disappointment was visible among the RS Berkane players, who came close to adding another continental title to their growing collection.

However, the Moroccan side remains one of the most consistent and competitive clubs in African football, determined to bounce back stronger in upcoming tournaments.

The Moroccan side, having earned a first-leg advantage, displayed grit and composure under immense pressure in Dar es Salaam to claim their third TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title, adding to their triumphs in 2020 and 2022.

With a packed Stadium roaring them on, Simba SC took an early lead to ignite hopes of a comeback. Joshua Mutale opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a composed finish after a clever assist from Elie Mpanzu, giving Simba a 1-0 lead.

The hosts continued to push, with Steven Mukwala and Shomari Kapombe threatening the RS Berkane goal. However, the Moroccan side remained resolute, with goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi and his backline withstanding the pressure.

Despite Simba’s lead, VAR heartbreak struck in the 73rd minute when Steven Mukwala’s goal was overturned for offside, a pivotal moment that kept RS Berkane’s aggregate advantage intact.

Tensions ran high throughout the match. Simba’s Yusuph Kagoma was sent off early in the second half after receiving a second yellow card in the 50th minute, tilting the balance in RS Berkane’s favour.

As Simba pushed desperately for a second goal, Soumaila Sidibe emerged as the hero for RS Berkane.

Sidibe scored a crucial equaliser with a well-taken right-footed effort from a tight angle, beating goalkeeper Moussa Camara and silencing the home crowd.

That goal sealed the draw and effectively ended Simba’s hopes, as RS Berkane’s aggregate lead became insurmountable.

This title marks RS Berkane’s third TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup championship, having now lifted the trophy in 2020, 2022, and 2025 — a remarkable feat that cements their status as a continental powerhouse.

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RS Berkane will host the opening leg at the Berkane Municipal Stadium, aiming to capitalise on their experience and home advantage. The “Orange Boys” are no strangers to the latter stages of this competition. Finalists for the fifth time since 2019 and champions in 2020 and 2022, they have firmly established themselves as a powerhouse in African club football.

Their path to the final has been marked by consistency and resilience – topping Group B ahead of Stellenbosch, Desportivo da Lunda Sul, and Stade Malien, before dispatching ASEC Mimosas and CS Constantine with a combined 6-1 scoreline in the knockout rounds.

Simba SC, on the other hand, are scripting a new chapter in Tanzanian football history. By reaching the final, “Wekundu wa Msimbazi” have become the first club from Tanzania to achieve this feat in the CAF Confederation Cup. Their continental pedigree is growing, having last featured in a CAF club final in 1993, when they fell to Stella Club in the CAF Cup.

This time, Simba emerged from Group A ahead of strong opposition including CS Constantine and CS Sfaxien, before surviving a tense penalty shootout against Al Masry and edging past Stellenbosch in a gritty semifinal win.

Key players could prove decisive across the two legs. For RS Berkane, central defender Issoufou Dayo has been a standout, combining defensive solidity with three crucial goals in the competition – making him a threat in both boxes.

Simba’s creative engine is Ivorian playmaker Jean Charles Ahoua, who has been instrumental in driving their attack and will be central to their hopes of continental glory.

The two teams have a brief but balanced head-to-head history, each winning once in their 2021/22 group-stage encounters.

With a trophy on the line and national pride at stake, this final promises to deliver passion, drama, and potentially a historic moment for East African football.

Will experience triumph, or will Simba SC complete their fairy tale? All eyes will be on Africa’s secondary club showpiece over the next two weekends.

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GOtv Broadcast details

Saturday 17 May

21:00: RS Berkane v Simba SC – LIVE on SuperSport GOtv Africa

Sunday 25 May

21:00: Simba SC v RS Berkane – LIVE on SuperSport GOtv Africa

USM Alger refused to take to the pitch in Morocco because the strip the hosts were wearing showed a map of the country which included the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Algeria, which cut off diplomatic ties with its North African neighbour in 2021, sees the extended map as a political provocation.

Morocco laid claim to Western Sahara in 1957, when it was still under Spanish colonial rule, and then annexed the territory in 1975.

The first leg on Sunday, 21 April had also been cancelled after Berkane had their kit confiscated by customs officials on arrival in Algeria and refused to wear an alternative shirt.

A Confederation of African Football (Caf) committee punished USM Alger with a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, and a different board then dismissed an appeal on Friday.

Neither decision was explained in detail, and USM Alger could face further sanctions from the continent’s governing body.

Algeria’s football federation (Faf) is expected to launch an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with its case centred on the argument that Berkane’s kit breaches Fifa’s equipment regulations.

The world governing body states that no item of kit which “includes political statements or images” may be worn.

USM Alger, who are the holders of the Confederation Cup, travelled to north-east Morocco for the return leg but did not emerge from their dressing room for kick-off.

Caf has not yet commented on the latest incident, but Berkane are expected to progress to the final where Egyptian giants Zamalek await.

Berkane have used the same jersey throughout this season’s competition – as well as a similar design in previous continental campaigns.

The club won the Confederation Cup, which was the second-tier continental competition before the introduction of the Africa Football League, in 2020 and 2022.

Map dispute adds to political tensions

Algeria and Morocco share a nearly 2,000 km (1,242 miles) border, which has been a source of tension since independence from French colonial rule.

The border is currently closed between the countries and Algeria severed diplomatic ties three years ago, accusing Morocco of “hostile acts”. Morocco called the move “completely unjustified”.

The ongoing political spat caused Morocco to pull out of last year’s African Nations Championship, which was hosted in Algeria, after being denied permission to fly direct from Rabat.

Morocco were not sanctioned by Caf despite withdrawing just days before the tournament was due to kick off.

The extended map of Morocco which is on RS Berkane’s kit has also caused issues in other sports.

Algeria withdrew from the Arab Youth Handball Championship this month because the Moroccan side were “wearing shirts with political connotations”.

Western Sahara, which is sparsely populated but with phosphate reserves and rich fishing grounds, has been the subject of a long-running dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Sahrawi people, led by the Polisario Front.

After Morocco annexed the territory in 1975 the Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, with a government in exile in Algeria, in 1976.

A 16-year-long insurgency ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991.

Morocco controls about 80% of the territory, with the rest being controlled by Polisario.

In 2020, the United States announced it would recognise full Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco establishing relations with Israel.

The game was forced into penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation plus extra time, and it was the Moroccans who had the penalty luck over their South African counterparts.

Pirates forward Thembinkosi Lorch suffered the extremes of two emotions, scoring a 117th minute equalizer, and then stepping up to see his penalty saved in the shootout.

He was the only one who missed on Pirates’ side while Berkane converted all their five kicks through Hamza El Moussaoui, Youssef Zghoudi, Ismail Mokadem, Issoufou Dayo and Brahim El Bahraoui who scored the winner.

Happy Jele scored the first for Pirates before Lorch, who was also named man of the match, missed the second. Tshegofatso Mabasa, Thabang Monare and goalkeeper Richard Ofori scored the subsequent three, but Berkane didn’t miss any and took the honors.

The game was forced into penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, where Pirates dominated and had most of the scoring opportunities. The game stood goalless after 90 minutes, forcing it into an extra 30.

Seven minutes into the first period of added time, Berkane who hadn’t created much all game had their best chance to score, and they took it.

Referee Janny Sikazwe visited the pitch-side monitor to check on a foul by substitute Monare on Mokadem from a corner and the Pirates man was adjudged to have swept down Mokadem inside the box.

Youssef El Fahli stepped forward and with ice cold feet sent Ofori the wrong way to net his fifth goal of the campaign.

Pirates fought to get themselves back into contention and piled in the pressure. They were rewarded for their hunger three minutes to the end through a bizarre goal by Lorch.

The Pirates forward had intended to play a pass inside the box as they pushed Berkane into their own area. However, his intended pass was missed by everyone and trickled into the bottom right of Akbi Hamiani’s goal.

In regulation time, Pirates had the chances and should have wrapped up the game early were they clinical enough.

As early as the third minute of the game, they had a glorious opportunity when Goodman Mosele sent Dean Hotto through on goal with a peach of a through pass, but the winger couldn’t get a strong curl on the ball with space ahead of him.

Mosele created another chance in the 18th minute when he whipped a cross from the right, but skipper Happy Jele’s header looped just over the target.

Their top scorer Bandile Shandu then forced Berkane keeper Hamiani to a neat save in the 33rd minute, his low sweep from the edge of the box being palmed away by a strong right hand from the shot stopper.

In the second half, Berkane somehow upped their attacking game but couldn’t thread in the shots at goal, Ofori not being busy for most of the game.

With no goals in regular time, the game had to go to an extra 30. It ended 1-1, and the winner was decided from 12 yards out.