USM Alger secured a place in the Algerian Cup round of 16 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over NC Magra at Stade du 5 Juillet on Monday.
Despite dominating possession, USM Alger struggled to break down NC Magra’s defense in a goalless first half.
However, just two minutes after the restart, Ismaïl Belkacemi found the breakthrough, netting the only goal of the match to give USMA the lead.
Missed opportunities but job done
Belkacemi came close to doubling his tally in the 85th minute, but his chance was denied after a powerful strike from Benayad was pushed away by the goalkeeper.
Nevertheless, USM Alger had already done enough to secure their passage to the next round.
Continued dominance over NC Magra
With this win, USM Alger extended their unbeaten run against NC Magra to over two and a half years.
The victory keeps their cup ambitions alive as they look ahead to the next stage of the competition.
