Egypt’s pyramids fought back from late pressure to defeat South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 on Sunday in Cairo to claim their first CAF Champions League victory.
After winning the first leg by drawing 1-1 in Pretoria last weekend, Pyramids won the first-ever African club competition by 2 to 3 on aggregate.
Before Iqraam Rayners cut the arrears in the 75th minute, Fiston Mayele scored after 23 minutes and Ahmed Samy after 56 for the Egyptians.
Sundowns struggled in the final few minutes of the match, but the second goal that would have assured them of a majority of the away goals was elusive.
The 30-kilometer-long Pyramids stadium’s capacity was about half full for the second leg due to pleas by the band, who typically draw crowds of just a few thousand.
Last weekend in Pretoria, both clubs changed their first-leg starting lineup, and Walid el Karti scored an added goal equalizer after Lucas Ribeiro gave Sundowns an early lead.
Former Croatian midfielder Krunoslav Jurcic, who was a former Croatian international, promoted ex-English Premier League player Ramadan Sobhi and dropped forward Ibrahim Adel, who scored six goals in the final.
Brazilian international Arthur Sales was cut out by Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso, who gave midfielder Jayden Adams a starting spot.
After Argentine Oscar Fullone, Cardoso becomes the second coach to reach four Champions League finals with various clubs.
Fullone, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 78, helped Morocco’s Raja Casablanca and ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast win the title’s championship competition in 1998.
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Mayele scores ,
With an own goal separating the sides, Cardoso defeated Tunisian Esperance in the 2024 final to defeat Al Ahly of Egypt.
Nwankwo Kanu, a 48-year-old legend and former Inter Milan and Arsenal player, delivered a new Champions League trophy to the touchline at the 30 June Stadium before the first leg.
Both teams constantly gave up possession on a warm, windy first day before Pyramids took the lead with Mayele’s ninth goal of the African campaign.
Grant Kekana partially cleared a cross from Ahmed Atef, and Mayele pounced to slam a quick low shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into the far corner of the net.
After the duo fought back in a furious fight that ended with their heads, the Somali referee yellowed Atef and Aubrey Modiba.
When Tashreeq Matthews broke through in the first half of the second half, only to have Ahmed el Shenawy’s left leg parry his shot.
Even though they had much more possession in the first half, the Pretoria outfit had the only threat in the opening half.
When Mohamed Chibi fired a free kick into the goalmouth and Samy fired a powerful header into the net, Pyramids again struck.
Samy scored the first goal of the 16-game Champions League campaign, making him the 19th Pyramids player this season.
When Rayners had a chance, Sundowns reacted when he fired past El Shenawy from close range after a poor clearance.
Source: Channels TV
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