USM Alger is on the verge of qualifying for the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup following the withdrawal of Equatorial Guinea's Panthers FC. The club announced that severe financial difficulties prevented them from covering travel and accommodation costs, especially after the expenses incurred during the previous round. Although USM Alger had offered to host both legs in Algeria to ease the financial burden on the visiting team, the Panthers failed to secure flight tickets. The Algerian club is currently awaiting official correspondence from the CAF competitions committee to formally validate their advancement to the next round.