Pyramids FC Make History with Maiden CAF Champions League Triumph

Pyramids FC etched their name into African football history on Sunday night after clinching their first-ever TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title with a thrilling 2-1 victory over South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the final at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo.

The Egyptian side sealed a 3-2 aggregate triumph, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Pretoria, and became the fourth club from Egypt to win Africa’s most prestigious club competition, joining continental heavyweights Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily.

Backed by a fervent home crowd, Pyramids began the match with intent and were rewarded in the 23rd minute when Congolese striker Fiston Mayele fired a low shot into the far corner after a well-worked move on the right flank. The goal marked Mayele’s ninth in the competition, cementing his role as a key figure in the club’s historic campaign.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 56th minute, as defender Ahmed Samy powered home a header from a pinpoint cross delivered by Moroccan full-back Mohamed Chibi, sparking wild celebrations in the Cairo stands.

Despite trailing 2-0, the South African champions refused to go quietly. Iqraam Rayners gave Sundowns a lifeline in the 75th minute with a tidy close-range finish. The goal set up a tense final stretch, with the visitors throwing everything forward in search of a late equalizer.

Peter Shalulile and Lebo Mothiba both came close, but the Pyramids defense, marshalled by veteran goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy, stood firm through 10 frantic minutes of added time to secure a famous win.

The victory marks a monumental moment for Pyramids FC, a club founded just over a decade ago and only promoted to Egypt’s top flight in 2014. Their rapid rise to continental champions underscores a remarkable footballing journey and confirms Egypt’s dominance on the African stage, following back-to-back Champions League titles by Al Ahly in 2023 and 2024.

Sunday’s result was a bitter pill for Sundowns, who were chasing their second CAF Champions League crown and hoping to become the first side since Al Ahly in 2012 to win the final without a home-leg advantage. Instead, they were left ruing their second defeat in a Champions League final, 24 years after their loss to Al Ahly in 2001.

For Pyramids, the win is more than a title, it’s a statement of intent from a club that has quickly grown into a continental powerhouse.