Abdelmalek Ziaya Fractures Rib in CAF Champions League Final Victory
ES Sétif striker Abdelmalek Ziaya has revealed he suffered a rib fracture during the second leg of the CAF Champions League final last Saturday. The Algerian forward was substituted about 30 minutes before the final whistle due to the injury.
According to reports from StarAfrica, Ziaya was placed in a cast the same evening, with doctors recommending at least three weeks of immobilization to allow proper healing.
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Ziaya expressed no regrets:
“I took a risk by participating in such an intense match while injured,” he told APS.
“But as they say, it’s in difficult times that we can show our dedication to our club. Given the lack of squad depth ESS was suffering from, I could only take it upon myself. And thank God, everything went well in the end.”
Indeed, ES Sétif went on to lift the continental title, crowning their efforts with glory—and making Ziaya’s sacrifice a meaningful one.
🏆 A Painful Yet Heroic Contribution
Ziaya’s commitment embodies the spirit of a true club man, pushing through pain to help secure ES Sétif’s historic CAF Champions League triumph. His absence will be felt in the coming weeks, but the striker can now rest knowing his efforts helped write a golden page in the club’s history.
