USMA, CAF CC: A surprising development before the start of the group stage

Oct 18, 2026

With just a few days until its start in the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, USM Alger faces an unexpected situation. Its Equatorial Guinean rival, The Panthers FC, has recently made a decision that disrupts the schedule for this continental match.

Football is not always just about what happens on the pitch. For The Panthers FC, the adventure on the continent ends due to an obstacle quite different from an opponent to overcome: a lack of resources to continue the competition.

In a statement released on Sunday via its social media, the Equatorial Guinean team announced its withdrawal from the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, where it was set to face USM Alger.

The club stated that it had exhausted its resources after being forced to organize its continental matches far from its territory, lacking a stadium approved by the African governing body.

Repeated travels have severely impacted its finances. After an initial match held in Cameroon, followed by a trip to Togo for the return leg of the previous round, The Panthers found themselves unable to fund a new trip, this time to Algeria.

“To date, this money has still not arrived. We have knocked on all doors, requested loans, and sought sponsors. The cost of travel for 35 people from Malabo to Douala, then to Algiers, including visas, accommodation, and meals for ten days, exceeds our capabilities,” the management stated in its announcement.

The club claims to have considered several options to avoid this withdrawal. It had notably tried to get the Mongomo stadium in Equatorial Guinea approved to host USMA.

Due to a lack of authorization, it requested the possibility of playing in Douala, Cameroon, before proposing to the Algerians to hold both matches in Algeria, ceding them the organization rights. However, these efforts did not yield a viable solution.

The management also noted the absence of expected financial assistance from the CAF. “We don’t even have a single franc CFA to pay for the plane that was supposed to leave tomorrow,” it lamented, emphasizing that the decision made is not sporting, but economic.

This withdrawal allows USM Alger to advance directly to the group stage of the Confederation Cup, without having to play this confrontation. The title-holding club can now prepare for the next phase of its continental journey while awaiting to learn about its future rivals.

DZfoot