Pyramids FC won their maiden TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title with a 2-1 victory over South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg final at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
Having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Pretoria, the Egyptian side secured a 3-2 aggregate win, becoming the fourth club from Egypt to win Africa’s most prestigious club competition, joining Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaili in a feat unmatched by any other nation.
Making just their second appearance in the Champions League, Pyramids took the lead in the 23rd minute through their prolific striker Fiston Mayele, who rifled a low shot into the far corner after a clever move on the right side.
Cafonline said the goal marked his ninth in the competition and confirmed his status as one of the key figures in Pyramids’ historic run.
The home side doubled their lead shortly after the restart when defender Ahmed Sami rose highest to head home from a Mohamed Chibi cross in the 56th minute, sending the 30,000 crowd into a frenzy.
Iqraam Rayners pulled one back for the South African champions in the 75th minute with a composed finish from close range.
The result marks the first time Pyramids have lifted the continental trophy, only seven years after the club’s founding. In 2008, Pyramids, originally called Al-Assiouti, were renamed and moved to Cairo in 2018 after attracting investment from Saudi Arabia, then the UAE.
Yet, says the BBC, despite boasting the funds to lure some of the best talent in Egypt and the rest of Africa, Pyramids have a marginal fan base and are constantly overshadowed by Cairo giants Ahly and Zamalek.
Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic pleaded for fans in Egypt to come and support his side before the game, but the BBC reported that the crowd was relatively quiet on the night despite a sizeable attendance at the 30,000-capacity 30 June Stadium.
Pyramids missed out on the league title to Ahly in midweek by two points, but they are scheduled to play Zamalek in the Egyptian Cup final on Thursday, after the Al-Ahram Weekly comes out, for a possible second trophy in less than a week.
Their success continues the domination of the Champions League by Egyptian clubs, who have now won seven out of its past nine editions – with Ahly claiming six of those titles.
It also ensures Egypt maintains its hold on African football’s crown for a third consecutive year following Ahly’s triumphs in 2023 and 2024.
Sundowns, champions in 2016, were seeking their second CAF title and aiming to become the first side since Ahly in 2012 to win after failing to secure a home-leg advantage in the final.
Sundowns will now prepare to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States which starts 15 June.
This was the 61st African final across both eras of the tournament and the 29th since the rebranding to the Champions League in 1997.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 5 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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