Egyptian club Pyramids FC won the CAF Champions League title for the first time in their history after defeating South African club Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the second leg on Sunday at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo.
The first leg, held in Pretoria last Saturday, ended in a 1-1 draw, giving Pyramids a 3-2 aggregate victory and their first title in the continent's most prestigious club competition.
Democratic Congolese player Feston Mayele (24) and Ahmed Sami (56) scored for Pyramids FC, while Ikram Reiners (75) scored for Mamelodi Sundowns FC.
Pyramids FC became the fourth Egyptian club to win the Champions League title, following Al Ahly (12 titles, most recently in 2024), Zamalek (five titles, most recently in 2002), and Ismaily SC (the first to win in 1969).
Pyramids will play the CAF Super Cup against Morocco's Renaissance Berkane. They are also participating in the Intercontinental Cup as representatives of the African continent and have secured their place in the 2029 Club World Cup.
The match started calmly for both teams. Pyramids' first attempt came in the 16th minute with a long-range shot from Ahmed Atef "Katta" that was well caught by Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
Pyramids took the lead when Atef sent in a cross that was poorly cleared by the Sundowns defense, reaching Mayele, who fired a direct shot into Williams' net to give the home side the lead (24).
Before the end of the first half, Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shenawy saved his team from an equalizer after Sundowns' Tashrik Matthews was one-on-one with him. However, El-Shenawy made a brilliant save, allowing Pyramids to end the first half with a 1-0 lead.
At the start of the second half, the video assistant referee (VAR) called for a possible red card for Pyramids defender Mahmoud Marei, who had impeded Sundowns' Ekram Reiners as he was about to break clear. However, the referee ordered play to continue.
Ahmed Sami added Pyramids' second goal after a direct free kick from Moroccan Mohamed El-Sheeb, which Sami met with a powerful header into the net. This doubled Pyramids' lead and brought them closer to the historic title (56).
Mamelodi Sundowns pressed hard, seeking a comeback. In the 75th minute, Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro sent a ball into the Pyramids penalty area, but Ahmed Sami failed to clear it. Reiners' shot found El-Shenawy's net, reducing the deficit for the visitors.
The referee added 10 minutes of stoppage time, during which Sundowns tried to equalize, but to no avail. The match ended with Pyramids winning the African title.
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