The Heirs of the Pharaohs leave Sundowns fans heart broken in their stalemate of their African Champions League final’s first leg in Johannesburg
By Ed Emeanua
Twice, Egyptian side Pyramids Football Club have mercilessly thrust their knife right where two South African clubs’ hearts used to be. Both times, ‘The Heirs of the Pharaohs’ have also managed to achieve their gruesome feats at the death. All these have also happened in the current edition of the African Champions League’s where the Egyptians continue to be a study in resilience against South African foes.
For the South African fan, here are some very charitable words of wisdom: If you’re a bully, treat ’em good. And, if you’re a chucky, nobody chucks ‘pon ’em. Meaning don’t mess with Egypt’s Pyramids of course.
In South Africa, that lesson was well learnt as the gritty Pyramids pulled level with just four minutes before stoppage time to take an eye popping 1-1 hard fought draw in Pretoria to Cairo. It is the first leg of the African Champions League final on Saturday.
With the away goals rule still in play in African club events; the advantage now goes to the Club from New Cairo through the exploits of Walid El Karti’s headed goal from the far post after a stoic flourish to the exchanges at Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Pyramids continue to showcase a knack for last minute heroics against South African opponents in the current African Champions League. At the semi-final stage, the Egyptian side that was once-upon-a-time in North Africa, known as Al Assiouty Sport at its formative year in 2008, also shattered expectations while breaking the heart of South African fans in their dismissal of Orlando Pirates.
That time, The Heirs of the Pharaohs also stalemated the first leg of the semi-final against Pirates 0-0 in Johannesburg before winning the reverse fixture 3-2 at their base in Cairo. Congolese forward Fiston Mayele was the star of the story of Pirates’ 2025 Champions League semi-final epitaph.
After the visitors had twice shot into the lead in Egypt, and for the records, scoring their second goal with just six minutes remaining, Pyramids’ thirty-year-old Congolese forward decided to take took matters into his hands after latching onto a loose ball inside the box from a corner kick to score the winner.
The Egypt side has achieved the repeat of their heart-breaking feat against South African clubs and resiliency in today’s first leg event of the final games of the championship. Sundowns shot into their 54th minute lead through Brazilian midfielder Lucas Ribeiro’s left-footed bender off an awry Pyramids defensive evacuation that fell kindly for prolific goalscoring midfielder.
Yet, the initial happenings in the tie were in line with general anticipation which somehow, placed the South African side as the clear favorites before the game against Pyramids, a side that was only taking part in their second Champions League competition.
But the persistent pressuring style of the visitors continued to rattle a host with such an immense belief in the ability of their Fort’s high altitude to be enough overwhelming force to slow down their fleet-footed challengers from North Africa.
Sundowns, who were Champions League winners in 2016, had a first-half chance to score quashed but Ahmed El Shenawy saved Iqraam Rayner’s’ glorious effort. Yet, the Egyptians’ counter offensive forays up field continued to unfurl fleets, if not trove of flaws in Sundown’s less than impressive backline.
All the same, Pyramids were forced to endure till almost the last action of the encounter when Mohamed Hamdy’s cross from the left was not prevented from bobbing in the box by Sundowns’ defenders, only for the ball to hurtle on beyond their reach to a lurking El Karti at the far post to score.
Sundowns must now wait for the return leg at Cairo’s Air Defense Stadium on Sunday, June 1, to take their chances at a reprieve.
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