CAF Confederation Cup: Zamalek book place in group stage after overcoming Dekedaha

Zamalek have secured their place in the group stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup after completing a 7-0 aggregate victory over Somali side Dekedaha.

The Egyptian giants entered the second leg with a commanding 6-0 advantage and sealed qualification with a 1-0 win on Friday. Tunisian forward Seifeddine Jaziri scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot seven minutes before halftime.

With qualification all but assured, head coach Yannick Ferrera opted to rotate his squad, handing starts to Ahmed Sherif, Jaziri, and recently recovered midfielder Abdelhamid Maali. Mohamed El Sayed was also named in the starting lineup and later missed a penalty in the 64th minute that would have doubled the lead.

Dekedaha, making their Confederation Cup debut, showed signs of improvement from their first-leg performance but failed to create any real threat against the Egyptian side.

Ferrera utilised his bench, introducing Juan Bezerra before the break, followed by Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mahmoud Bentayg, and Abdalla El-Saied in the second half to maintain control of the game.

Dekedaha previously featured in the CAF Champions League in 2020, exiting in the preliminary round.

The draw for the group stage of both the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup will be held on Monday, 3 November, in Johannesburg, South Africa.