Olympic Safi head coach Chokri Khatoui needs his players to show "great mental strength" again when they face USM Alger at the Stade du 5 Juillet in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semifinals on Saturday, April 11.
Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
Current form:
The Sharks caused a major upset in the quarterfinals as they eliminated African giants Wydad Casablanca on away goals to continue their dream run in the competition.
Khatoui's side kept themselves in the tie courtesy of an El Mehdi Benabid own-goal on 86 minutes to clinch a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the El Massira Stadium.
The 2024-25 Moroccan Cup finalists then produced a masterclass to hold their more-fancied league rivals to a 2-2 draw in front of a bumper crowd at the Stade Mohammed V.
Olympic Safi made their debut in the CAF Confederation Cup this season and have only lost two games - to Stade Tunisien in the second round (2-1) and USMA in the group stages (1-0).
The Algerian club, who won their one and only title in 2023, also relied on the away-goals rule to get past Maniema Union in the last eight.
Ahmed Khaldi's 53rd-minute penalty in the first leg at the Stade TP Mazembe gave them hope despite suffering a 2-1 defeat and they ran out 1-0 victors at Stade du 5 Juillet to reach the semis for the third time ion five years.
That was only their second loss in 10 matches after Lamine N'Diaye's side were beaten 1-0 by AFAD Djekanou in the second round.
What was said:
Olympic Safi head coach Chokri Khatoui
"We faced one of the best teams in Africa, in front of a large crowd. We came here to play our style of football and do what was necessary to qualify.
"We didn't drop back to defend or play solely on the counter-attack. We pressed hard and caused problems for the opposition, especially in the first half.
"The players showed great mental strength and followed instructions. This qualification is well deserved."
Players to watch:
USM Alger - Houssam Ghacha has played a pivotal role in USMA's run to the semifinals, starting all 10 games and playing 878 minutes. The 30-year-old winger has the most goal involvements in the team after finding the back of the net three times and registering two assists. However, his last goal came in the 3-2 victory over San Pedro on matchday 1 of the group stages.
Olympic Safi - Sofian El Moudane has spearheaded the Sharks' surprise challenge and he's in the run to finish top scorer in the competition. The 32-year-old attacking midfielder opened the scoring against Wydad in the second leg to take his tally to five goals, placing him just one behind Abdennour Belhocini of CR Belouizdad, who have already been eliminated.
Head-to-Head:
Matches - 2
USM Alger wins - 1
Olympic Safi wins - 0
Draws - 1