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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Pyramids claim maiden African Champions League title
Soccer Football - CAF Champions League - Final - Second Leg - Pyramids v Mamelodi Sundowns - 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt - June 1, 2025 Pyramids' Ahmed Samy celebrates scoring their second goal with Ramadan Sobhi and Mohamed Chibi REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh CAIRO - Egypt's Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa for a 3-2 aggregate success and a first African Champions League title following the second leg of this year's final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday. After the first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1, Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes when he profited from a Sundowns defensive error, before Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes with a header from a free-kick. Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining and one more would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule, but Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors. Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily, while 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month's Club World Cup in the United States on a low note. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CAF
3 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
Pyramids' golden trio aims to rewrite history in CAF Champions League final
Published: Saturday, 31 May 2025 As Pyramids FC prepare for the biggest night in their club's history, three players in the squad are drawing on personal memories of past glory to drive the team toward a maiden TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title. The Cairo-based side will host South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday evening at the Air Defense Stadium, with the tie delicately poised at 1-1 following a tense first leg in Pretoria. While Pyramids FC are seeking a first-ever continental crown, they will be counting on the experience of three seasoned campaigners who already know what it means to lift African football's biggest club prize. Veteran goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy, midfielder Walid El Karti, and winger Ramadan Sobhi have all tasted Champions League glory before — and now have the chance to etch their names in Egyptian football folklore once more. Ekramy, who holds the most CAF Champions League titles among the trio, was instrumental in Al Ahly's triumphs in 2012 and 2013, including a vital penalty save against Cameroon's Coton Sport in the semi-finals. Although his third title in 2020 came with limited playing time, his leadership from the bench helped guide Al Ahly through a challenging campaign. Walid El Karti will be hoping to recreate the magic of his unforgettable header in the 2017 final, which handed Wydad Casablanca a 1-0 victory over Al Ahly and secured the Moroccan giants the title. Now in Pyramids blue, El Karti already made his mark in the first leg with a stoppage-time equaliser against Sundowns. Ramadan Sobhi, meanwhile, carries a sense of unfinished business. Though he won the 2020 Africa Cup of Nations at youth level, his move to Pyramids meant he missed out on the dramatic 'final of the century' between Al Ahly and Zamalek. Now, he is determined to play his part on the continent's biggest club stage. As the club looks to bring a fourth CAF Champions League trophy to Egypt via a fourth different team — an achievement unmatched on the continent — the blend of ambition and experience may well be the key to unlocking history.
