Pyramids poised to carve name in African football history

Pyramids FC are just 90 minutes away from achieving the greatest milestone in their club’s short history as they prepare to host South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final on Sunday at Cairo’s Air Defense Stadium.

With the first leg ending 1-1 in Pretoria — Lucas Ribeiro’s strike cancelled out by a late equaliser from Walid El Karti — the Egyptian side head into the return fixture knowing a goalless draw or any outright win would secure them their first-ever Champions League crown.

This would not only mark a seismic moment for Pyramids FC, but it would also add a new name to the elite list of African football champions.

Founded in 2008 and only emerging as a professional force in recent years, the Cairo-based side are now on the cusp of continental greatness.

Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić has guided the team to this historic final, looking to add the CAF Champions League trophy to the Egypt Cup title he won earlier in the season.

Should he succeed, he will become the first Croatian manager to lift Africa’s premier club competition trophy — a significant personal and national milestone.

Jurčić follows in the footsteps of another Croatian, Ante Cacic, who led Pyramids to the final of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2020, where they narrowly lost to Morocco's RS Berkane. This time, Pyramids are determined to go one step further.

Victory on Sunday would also see Pyramids join an exclusive club of Egyptian giants — Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily — as winners of Africa’s most prestigious club tournament.

Egypt would also become the only country to have four different clubs crowned champions in the competition’s history.

With the Air Defense Stadium expected to be packed with local supporters and the eyes of the continent watching, Pyramids FC know they are not just playing for a trophy, but for their legacy.