ALGIERS (Reuters) – USM Alger dedicated their first ever title in the African Confederation Cup to their former attacking midfielder Billel Benhammouda, who died in a car accident last year, with the team captain inviting the player’s father on to the podium at Saturday’s trophy presentation.
Benhammouda, who was 24, died in June last year, a day after scoring a goal for Algeria’s national team in a 3-0 friendly win against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After USM claimed the Confederation Cup on away goals following a 2-2 aggregate draw against Tanzania’s Young Africans in Algiers on Saturday, captain Zinedine Belaid invited Benhammouda’s father, Mohamed, on to the podium, holding a picture of his son, to take part in lifting the trophy.
“This was the desired goal, the team wanted to win and dedicate the title to the soul of Billel and to his family,” Mohamed told reporters after the emotional ceremony.
(Reporting by Ahmed Mostafa and Mohamed Chikhi; editing by Clare Fallon)
