USM Alger wrote a new chapter in their club history with a quickfire 2-0 win over rivals CR Belouizdad in the Algerian Cup final on Saturday night at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.
The team stunned their neighbors with two early goals and never looked back, lifting the prestigious trophy for a record-equalling ninth time.
A strong start saw Ryad Ben Ayad fire USM Alger into the lead in just the 9th minute. Four minutes later, Ahmed Khaldi doubled the advantage, leaving CR Belouizdad chasing shadows for the rest of the match. The final, watched by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and top state officials, had all the tension of a derby but was ultimately decided before the 15-minute mark.
This marks USM Alger’s ninth Algerian Cup triumph after previous wins in 1981, 1982, 1988, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2013. With the win, they now share the record for the most Cup titles with CR Belouizdad.
It was the sixth final between the two clubs, with USM winning three, 1988, 2003, and now 2025.
