2008 North African Cup of Champions
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 17 December 2008 – 25 January 2009 |
| Teams | 4 (from UNAF confederations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Club Africain (1st title) |
| Runners-up | FAR Rabat |
The 2008 North African Cup of Champions was the first edition of the competition initiated by the North African Football Union (UNAF). Tunisian side Club Africain were crowned champions after beating Moroccan side FAR Rabat 3-2 on penalties in the final, after both legs ended 0-0.
Participating teams
| Algeria | JS Kabylie (Algerian Championnat National Winners 2007-08) |
| Egypt | Al Ahly1 (Egyptian Premier League Winners 2007-08) |
| Libya | Al Ittihad (Libyan Premier League Winners 2007-08) |
| Morocco | FAR Rabat (Botola Winners 2007-08) |
| Tunisia | Club Africain (Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 Winners 2007-08) |
1 Al Ahly will not compete as they have commitments with the Club World Championship in Japan.
Semi-final
Draw
First Legs
Club Africain 2 - 1 Al Ittihad (17 December)
JS Kabylie 1 - 1 FAR Rabat (19 December)
| Club Africain | 2 – 1 | Al Ittihad |
|---|---|---|
| Sellami 26' Ben Yahia 61' (pen.) |
Ellafi 68' |
| JS Kabylie | 1 – 1 | FAR Rabat |
|---|---|---|
| Coulibaly 23' | Ouchela 48' |
Second Legs
Al Ittihad 1 - 1 Club Africain (24 December)
FAR Rabat 1 - 0 JS Kabylie (26 December)
| Al Ittihad | 1 – 1 | Club Africain |
|---|---|---|
| Esnani 14' | Ouertani 57' |
Club Africain advance to the Final with an aggregate score of 3-2
| FAR Rabat | 1 – 0 | JS Kabylie |
|---|---|---|
| Akadar 59' |
FAR Rabat advance to the Final with an aggregate score of 2-1
3rd/4th-place play-off
| Al Ittihad | 1 – 1 | JS Kabylie |
|---|---|---|
| Rahuma 20' Zubya 90+1 |
Bensaid 79' |
There has been an ongoing feud as to who will take 3rd place. Al Ittihad were originally given 3rd place as JS Kabylie did not play a penalty shootout, as they claim they won the tie on away goals. The Algerian club also said that Ittihad had an unfair advantage playing at home in a one-off match. As a result, CAF will meet on 19 January to discuss the match.
The FNAF later decided that the two clubs would share 3rd place, and therefore share the $75,000 prize fund.
Final
First leg
| Club Africain | 0 – 0 | FAR Rabat |
|---|---|---|
Second leg
| FAR Rabat | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) (2 – 3 pen.) | Club Africain |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 North African Cup of Champions Winners |
|---|
Club Africain First title |