Olympique Safi is close to continental glory

Less than a year after Olympique Safi entered the history of Moroccan football from its widest gates, after being crowned with the first Throne Cup in its career, the “Metropolis of the Ocean” team finds itself facing an important historical milestone the day after tomorrow, Sunday, when it faces the Algerian team USM Algiers in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals, with its eye on grabbing the ticket to qualify for the final of the competition to write a new chapter in its historical record, and then catch up with the Moroccan teams crowned in this continental competition.

The Moroccan team enters the return match, which will be played on the grounds of the Green Massira Stadium in Safi, with a moral advantage represented by its benefit from the ground staff and the audience, and its return with a scoreless draw (0-0) in the first leg that was held last weekend in Algiers.

At the level of technical data, the chances of Olympique Safi appear to be good, especially in light of the noticeable improvement in its results during the recent period, after a shaky start in the national championship. The team was able to leave the last ranks that it had been stuck in for a long time, and presented good continental levels, which produced the brilliance of a number of players, most notably captain Sufyan Al-Moudhin (the second top scorer in the competition), and striker Musa Kony, who scored 6 goals this season, in addition to the stability provided by Fred Ngoma in the midfield and defender Fraji Karmon.

Despite the changes witnessed by the technical staff, the Mesfioui team has begun to gradually regain its balance at the tactical level, as the improvement in the way of playing has clearly appeared since the appointment of coach Shukri Al-Khatti, which was embodied in the first leg, especially during the first half, where the team posed a threat to the Algerian goalkeeper Oussama Ben Bout through offensive shifts, thanks to the harmony of the duo Salah Al-Din Al-Rahouli and Younes Al-Najari, with the support provided by Imad Al-Khanous from the back.

The Tunisian coach seems confident in his players' ability to snatch the qualification ticket, as he expressed in press statements his full confidence in his group, stressing that the most important thing in the first leg, despite wasting a number of opportunities to score, is keeping the net clean and not conceding any goals.

The coach also appealed to the fans of Olympique Safi to come en masse to the stadium and support the team in this decisive confrontation, with the hope of achieving qualification and reaching the final match.

In this fateful match, the “Masfiou Shark” will be deprived of the services of its brilliant goalkeeper, Hamza Al-Hamiani, after he was sent off in the first leg, which opens the way for goalkeeper Youssef Al-Mutia, who has African experience with Wydad Athletic Club, to defend the den of Olympique Safi in this confrontation.