USM Alger management issued a statement on 18 October regarding the status of their upcoming football match. This communication was formally released by the club management on Sunday evening to address the uncertainty surrounding the fixture. The club confirmed that, as of the release of this announcement, they have not received official notification from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) concerning any cancellation of the fixture. As of the statement's release, USM Alger has not received official notification from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the cancellation of the match. Club officials remain in a period of waiting for formal communication from the governing body to clarify the schedule. The team continues to monitor the situation while maintaining their standard match preparations pending further updates from the Confederation of African Football.
Status of Match Preparations
The delegation of The Panthers of Equatorial Guinea has not yet arrived in Algeria. Despite the scheduled fixture, the visiting team remains absent from the country as of 19 October.
Representatives from The Panthers and USM Alger previously reached a mutual agreement to hold both the first and second leg matches of the second preliminary round within Algeria. Officials from The Panthers and USM Alger agreed to hold both the first and second leg matches of the second preliminary round in Algeria. إدارة نادي اتحاد العاصمة stated: "تحيط نادي اتحاد العاصمة مناصري الفريق وكافة وسائل الإعلام علما بأنّه، إلى غاية صدور هذا البيان، لم يتلقَّ أي مراسلة رسمية من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم تفيد بإلغاء مباراة ذهاب الدور التمهيدي الثاني المؤهل إلى دور المجموعات من كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، المقررة أمام نادي ذا بانثرز الغيني يوم الثلاثاء القادم."
إدارة نادي اتحاد العاصمة further noted: "ويؤكّد النادي أن الإدارة ستوافي مناصري الفريق والرأي العام بكل المستجدات فور تلقي مراسلة رسمية من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، سواء تعلق الأمر بإقامة المباراة في موعدها أو بأي قرار آخر يخصها."
Context of Previous Matches
The Panthers previously played their first preliminary round match in Cameroon. This arrangement occurred because the team lacked a stadium approved by the Confederation of African Football at that time. The Panthers played their first preliminary round match in Cameroon because they lacked a CAF-approved stadium.
USM Alger is scheduled to play the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup against The Panthers of Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday. The club remains in anticipation of formal correspondence from the Confederation of African Football to confirm the status of this fixture. The management team at USM Alger continues to await definitive instruction from the governing body to ensure that all logistical and competitive requirements are met for the upcoming match. The club's internal preparations are continuing in accordance with the original schedule until such time as an official update is provided by the Confederation of African Football.