Egyptian football clubs Ahly and Pyramids have a golden opportunity to reach the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
But they must first get past their semi-final opponents, both from South Africa: Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
Ahly are scheduled to meet Sundowns tomorrow (25 April), the same day that Pyramids will clash with Orlando. The two games are being played in Cairo.
Both matches are the second leg of the semi-finals. The two first legs, played on 19 April, ended in scoreless stalemates. Ahly and Sundowns drew 0-0, as did Pyramids and Orlando.
Although the first legs ended in zeroes, there were decent enough chances for goals, especially by Ahly. Ahly came closest to scoring just before half-time when first-year forward Nejc Gradisar of Slovenia saw his header crash off the left post after being set up by Emam Ashour.
In the second half, Gradisar had a goal ruled out for offside. Ahly substitute Achraf Bencharki also found the net after coming on, only for the flag to go up again.
Sundowns entered the match with hopes of capitalising on home advantage, said CAFonline, but Ahly’s defensive resilience — they were playing with five in the back — and experience in high-stakes continental showdowns proved decisive in keeping the hosts at bay at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
Ahly are the defending champions, are gunning to make it an unprecedented three crowns in a row, and are seeking a record-extending 13th title. The match marked the sixth consecutive semi-final appearance for Ahly in Africa’s premier club competition.
Ahly are unbeaten at home in the Champions League since 2021. For Sundowns, who last lifted the trophy in 2016, the goalless first leg means they must do what they have failed to do in previous visits to Cairo — win.
However, Sundowns have developed impressive defensive solidity this season. As well, the history between these two sides is filled with dramatic moments that have captivated the continent, not least extremely high-scoring, one-sided games dominated by Sundowns. In 2019, Sundowns’ stunning 5-0 victory in Pretoria sent shockwaves through African football. Another lopsided match in 2023 saw Sundowns manhandle Ahly 5-2.
Sundowns edged Tunisia’s Espérance in the previous round while Ahly booked their semi-final spot with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Al-Hilal of Sudan in the quarter-finals.
Egyptian side Pyramids were held to a goalless draw by South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in their first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Pyramids, appearing in the semi-finals for the first time, saw two goals disallowed in Johannesburg — one for offside and one for handball — late in each half after VAR reviews.
Pyramids goals — Fiston Mayele’s first-half strike and Sodiq Awujoola’s late finish with what appeared to be the winner five minutes from time — were both chalked off for handball in the build-up, dampening what could have been decisive moments for the Egyptian visitors.
The rulings so incensed Pyramids Croatian head coach Krunoslav Jurcic that he claimed his side had “won 2-0”.
Despite playing away, the Egyptian side dominated for large spells and continued to press in the final stages.
Pyramids, seeking their first-ever continental title, will host the return leg in Cairo on Friday with a place in the final at stake.
But with Pirates’ impressive away form in this year’s campaign — they are unbeaten in their last three away games — the South Africans will travel with self-assuredness.
Orlando are making their first semi-final appearance since 2013.
Pyramids reached the semi-finals after edging Morocco’s FAR Rabat 4-3 on aggregate.
Pirates advanced with a narrow 1-0 aggregate win over Algeria’s MC Alger.
Unlike the European Champions League, home and away goals still count in African championships, meaning that any outright win by Sundowns or Orlando, or a score that ends in a tie more than 0-0, will see the visitors to Egypt advance to the finals.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 24 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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