The Pyramids FC are TotalEnergies CAF Champions League winners.
The Egyptians won a hard-fought 2-1 (3-2 on aggregate) victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the final at the June Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday night, June 1.
Pyramids are now the fourth Egyptian club to win the CAF Champions League after Al Ahly, Ismaily and Zamalek.
Both sides approached this two-legged final match with different goals. Pyramids sought to become the fourth Egyptian club to win this continental showpiece while Sundowns, who reached the finals of this tournament three times, aimed to lift the title for the first time since they last won it in 2016.
The Brazilians’ defenders found themselves at sixes and sevens as the Pyramids’ combination of Ramadan Sobhi and Fiston Mayele tormented them like a pebble in the shoe. Mayele was finally rewarded when he slotted home, beating Ronwen Williams to his right after Sundowns’ Grant Kekana’s poor clearance from Sobhi landed on the DR Congo star who made no mistake to score his 9th goal in this tournament in 23rd minute.
Sundowns could have levelled matters in the dying minutes of the first half, but it was not meant to be as Tashreeq Matthews watched helplessly as his shot was saved by goalie, Ahmed El Shennawi in the first half’s referee added time.
The 24-year old Sundowns left winger could outran three Pyramids defenders and unleashed a powerful strike. However Pyramids goalkeeper was equal to the task.
Pyramids double their tally to 2-0 in the 56th minute when Ahmed Samy connected with a freekick with a diving header. The home side had been given a free kick after Lunga, who came on as a substitute for Aubrey Modiba at the start of the second half was flagged for foul play. However, Sundowns would pull one back through Igraam Rayners in the 75th minute.
The Pyramids who ejected Orlando Pirates out of this competition in the semifinals, showed their determination to lay their hands on the newly minted silver-ware when they scored a late minute away goal against Sundows at Loftus Vesfeld in Pretoria on May 24 to place themselves in a better position to wrap it off at home in the second leg.
In the end, it came as no surprise as they are now African champions but Sundowns gave them a run for the money.
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