The report says Zamalek struck early and gave themselves a route back into the final, but could not turn that fast start into the wider cushion they needed. That is often the fine line in two-leg African finals.
That is usually where experience matters most. Teams that can live without the ball, slow the contest and resist the crowd often give themselves a chance deep into the night.
A shootout finishing 8-7 is not luck alone. It is technique, rhythm and nerve. The update says the first seven penalties for each side were converted before Mohamed Shehata missed in the eighth round and Glody Likonza scored the winner.
That sequence says plenty about both sides:
If the report is accurate, this is another major continental statement from USM Alger and a brutal near-miss for Zamalek. Finals are remembered less for territory or momentum than for who manages the decisive moments.
The next storyline is obvious: whether USM Alger can turn this resilience into another strong run on the continental stage, and how Zamalek respond when domestic and African expectations rise again.