Palestinian forward Oday Dabbagh's early goal cancelled out USM Alger's 1-0 first-leg advantage, only for the shootout to deny Zamalek the trophy as the Algerians claimed their second Confederation Cup crown, following their 2023 triumph.
Zamalek coach Motamed Gamal made several changes to his starting line-up, naming defender Mohamed Ibrahim in place of Mahmoud Hamdi, while Adam Kaied came in for the suspended Mahmoud Bentayg, with defender Mahmoud "El-Wensh" Hamdi being also left out as a precautionary measure following a slight injury.
The hosts wasted little time in making their intent clear, piling early pressure on USM Alger's defence.
In just the fifth minute, Palestinian midfielder Adam Kaied was brought down inside the area by Cameroonian defender Che Malone, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Dabbagh stepped up and drove a composed left-footed penalty to the bottom-left corner, giving Zamalek the lead they needed to level the tie.
The White Knights thought they had doubled their advantage shortly after when Mohamed Ismael converted a follow-up from Mohamed Shehata's header, only for celebrations to be cut short as Shehata was correctly flagged offside.
The goal appeared to unsettle the Algerian side, who struggled to reorganise amid the ensuing confusion and found little joy against Zamalek's well-drilled backline.
In the 21st minute, USM Alger midfielder Islam Merili attempted to catch Zamalek off guard with a right-footed effort from a direct free kick, but his shot sailed just over the bar.
Four minutes later, winger Ahmed Khaldi rose above Zamalek's defenders to meet Merili's set-piece delivery with a header from the centre of the box, only to send it narrowly wide.
Zamalek were then dealt an unwanted blow just after the half-hour mark when goalkeeper El Mahdi Soliman was forced off with a muscular injury, with Mohamed Awad introduced as his replacement.
The enforced change appeared to offer USM Alger some renewed impetus, as they gradually assumed control of possession and began to besiege Zamalek in their own half, pressing in search of an equaliser.
The hosts, for their part, remained dangerous on the counterattack.
Two minutes before the break, Awad repaid his manager's faith with a superb save, palming away a powerful long-range effort from Khaldi.
Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, defender Mohamed Ismael met Abdallah El-Said's cross with a header from the left side of the box, only to see it drift wide of the right post.
Shootout agony for the White Knights
USM Alger came out with greater urgency after the interval, with striker Tendeng forcing his way into the area early on, though his shot went wide of the left post.
Five minutes before the hour mark, Khaldi again went close, curling an effort from outside the area that narrowly missed the same post.
Gamal responded tactically a minute later, introducing Seifeddine Jaziri and Mohamed El-Sayed for Chico Banza and Adam Kaied to freshen up the frontline.
Khaldi continued to pose the greatest threat for the visitors. He was denied twice in quick succession, once after latching on to a right-side cross from Brahim Benzaza and firing just wide with his left foot, and again when, receiving the ball on the left side of the area, he lifted his shot over the bar.
As the game wore on, USM Alger dominated possession and territorial advantage, with Zamalek increasingly focused on protecting their lead.
The White Knights’ disciplined defensive shape kept the Algerians at bay throughout, and the hosts came agonisingly close to a decisive second goal five minutes from time when Nasser Mansi, introduced as a substitute, met a cross with a header from close range, only for goalkeeper Oussama Benbout to produce a stunning save to keep his side in the tie.
Regulation time ended 1-0 on the night and 1-1 on aggregate, sending the final to a penalty shootout.
Both sides were faultless through the first five kicks, as El-Said, Esho, Abdelmaguid, Mansi and Jaziri all converted for Zamalek, while Draoui, Khaldi, Redouani, Benayad and Lucif did likewise for USM Alger.
In the sudden-death phase, Zamalek's Bezzera and El-Sayed both found the net, but Mohamed Shehata's miss proved fatal.
USM Alger's Chetti, Dehiri and Likonza all held their nerve to seal an 8-7 victory and send the trophy to Algeria.
The Algerian side will receive $4 million, while Zamalek will bag $2 million, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) doubled the competition’s prize money.
Zamalek now turn their attention to domestic competition, with a crucial Egyptian Premier League fixture against Ceramica Cleopatra to come on Wednesday.
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