Egyptian fans are encouraged to watch the CAF Champions League final second leg against South African champion Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday in Cairo, according to Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurcic.
While Pyramids have a few thousand supporters, Al Ahly and Zamalek, two other Egyptian clubs, can draw a capacity crowd of 73 000 people to the stadium.
As Pyramids prepare to win their first African title, the 55-year-old former Croatia midfielder said, “We are almost alone, we deserve support, we are representing Egypt.”
After losing to Sundowns in a 1-1 first-leg draw last weekend, Pyramids have changed from underdogs to light favorites.
With only 37 seconds left, Sundowns had a late lead over Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro.
A 0-0 draw at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo will give Pyramids the title, but Europe has eliminated the away-goal rule in club competitions. However, Africa continues to use it.
After 90 minutes, Sundowns would be declared champions again, just one more goal away, while a score draw and penalties would be used to end the game.
A remarkable rise for a club that is funded by Saudi and, more recently, Emirati petrodollars would be capitulated by winning the first African club competition at the second attempt.
The club, which was founded in 2008 as Al Assiouty, relocated to Cairo ten years later, changed its name, and attracted some of the top talent from both Egypt and Africa.
While Mohamed Chibi and El Karti, the majority of the team is made up of Egyptians, Fiston Mayele, a star of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burkinabe Blati Toure and Mohamed Chibi, both started in Pretoria.
Jurcic, who had a Sundowns side made up of South American stars like Ribeiro and Marcelo Allende, favors an offensive approach.
I Want to Give Them a Chance: Home-Based Players Have Quality, Eric Chelle.
‘Heroes’
“The players gave a damn about their outstanding performance,” the player said. He claimed that Sundowns are a much more knowledgeable Champions League team.
Sundowns are in the annual competition for the 18th time, and they have only lost once in the process since losing to Zamalek in the 2016 title decider.
Pyramids made its Champions League debut last year, but they lost in their final group game to lose just one of their six matches. They did draw at Sundowns before losing to the Pretoria outfit with a 1-0 victory.
Jurcic, who came to Pyramids after winning the previous Champions League campaign, admits to feeling anxious ahead of the return game because “we have not won anything yet.”
When Pyramids defeated Ceramica Cleopatra 5-1 on Wednesday, Pyramids made up the majority of their first choices, but they had to settle for second place in the Egyptian Premier League behind Al Ahly.
They now want to win both the CAF Champions League and the FA Cup in Egypt. On June 5, they will face Zamalek in the final of the domestic knockout competition.
After his previous club, Esperance of Tunisia, lost to Ahly last year, Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso wants to avoid losing to the Sundowns in the Champions League final.
Because the trophy’s fate is uncertain, we need to have mental strength. He told reporters, “We must show the greater desire.”
“Heroes emerge in challenging circumstances. The 53-year-old hired by Sundowns in December said it is simple to become a hero in favorable circumstances.
Sundowns has wealthy backers, just like Pyramids. Patrice Motsepe, president of Confederation of African Football, owns the club, and Tlhopie, his oldest son, oversees it.
They just won their eighth straight league title, but they are the ones who want the Champions League. They are the dominant force in South Africa.
Source: Channels TV
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