Pyramids FC captured their first African Super Cup after edging Morocco’s RS Berkane 1-0 in Cairo at the 30 June Stadium on Saturday night.
Pyramids star forward Fiston Mayele scored the only goal of the game in the 75th minute after a clever pass from Mohamed Chibi who had initially blocked a possible Berkane threat. Although the angle was tight, the Congolese forward’s strike inside the box left Berkane goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi with no chance.
The one-off annual match pits the winner of the African Champions League, in this case Pyramids, and the champion of the Confederation Cup, Berkane.
RS Berkane, champions of the 2021 edition, were denied a second TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup title despite a feisty performance.
Under Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić, Pyramids have now completed a remarkable double, adding the CAF Super Cup to their first ever Champions League title of last season.
“Now I can say that we are kings of Africa,” Jurčić said after the game.
“It is difficult to tell you the secret of our success, but the players always want to achieve distinguished goals in their careers, and as a coach I help them by providing the proper atmosphere,” he added.
“I can give energy to my players, and I am known for that. My continuous reactions from the touchline are meant to give them a morale boost,” Jurčić, well known for his dramatic reactions on the sideline, Jurčić.
Pyramids FC lost their first continental final to RS Berkane in 2020, falling 1-0 in the CAF Confederation Cup decider in Rabat.
RSB Berkane won the Confederation Cup for the third time last season after defeating Tanzania’s Simba to qualify for the Super Cup.
Saturday’s triumph marked Egypt’s 14th CAF Super Cup title overall, with Ahly holding a record eight wins and Zamalek five.
The achievement establishes Pyramids as a new powerhouse in African football.
Besides their African triumphs, Pyramids are also in the semi-final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
Pyramids won their first two games to progress to the penultimate game.
The remaining three matches will take place in December 2025 — all from a centralised location that is yet to be announced.
The third game — called the Derby of the Americas — will take place on 10 December between Mexico’s Cruz Azul and the yet to be decided Copa Libertadores winners.
The semi-final — known as the FIFA Challenger Cup — will see African-Asian-Pacific Cup champions Pyramids take on the Derby of the Americas winners for a place in the final.
Paris St-Germain are automatically in the final after winning the UEFA Champions League.
Home advantage is rotated on a yearly basis between African and Asian clubs, with the Egyptian side the hosts in 2025.
The inaugural edition took place in 2024, with Real Madrid beating Mexican side Pachuca in the final in Lusail, Qatar, last December.
The annual tournament sees the winners of all six global football confederations compete for the trophy.
Meanwhile, in the African Champions League, Ahly of Egypt kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 away victory over Burundi’s Aigle Noir in the first leg of the round of 32.
Ahly dominated from the first minute of the game and took the lead nine minutes before the break after an own goal by Aigle Noir defender Nicolas Iragi.
The return leg will be played in Egypt on Saturday 25 October.
Egyptian giants Ahly are chasing a record-extending 13th CAF Champions League title.
They lost their title last season when they went down to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the semi-final.
Newly appointed head coach of Ahly Jess Thorup of Denmark was overseeing his first African game with Ahly.
In the less competitive African Confederation Cup, Egyptian team Zamalek blasted Somali side Dekadaha 6-0 in Cairo International Stadium on Saturday in the first leg of the second preliminary round.
The White Knights dominated from start to finish, with Brazilian playmaker Juan Bezerra starring in a one-sided contest, scoring twice and assisting three more.
The return leg will also be played in Cairo on Friday.
Zamalek enter this season’s competition at the second preliminary round via a bye earned through their CAF club ranking.
The White Knights secured their spot in Africa’s secondary continental competition after finishing third in the Egyptian Premier League last season, marking their third consecutive appearance and fifth overall in the tournament.
The two-time Confederation Cup champions fell short last season, exiting in the quarter-finals after a 1-0 home defeat to South African side Stellenbosch following a goalless away draw.
Zamalek won the Confederation Cup in 2019 and 2024.
In more Confederation Cup action, Masri of Egypt opened their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Libya’s Ittihad in the first leg of the second preliminary round at Tripoli International Stadium on Saturday.
Masri will host Ittihad in the return leg at Suez Stadium on Sunday 26 October to decide which team advances to the group stage.
The Green Eagles qualified for this season’s competition after finishing fourth in the Egyptian Premier League, marking their second consecutive and seventh overall appearance in the tournament.
They entered directly into the second preliminary round after receiving a bye based on their CAF club ranking.
Last season, Masri reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Tanzania’s Simba SC in a penalty shootout.
Ittihad, meanwhile, are featuring in the tournament for a 12th time after eliminating Ethiopia’s Wolaita Dicha SC 3-1 on aggregate in the previous round.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 October, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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