The 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo will turn into a battleground on Sunday afternoon, when Pyramids FC and Mamelodi Sundowns face off in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final.
The hosts have never won Africa's premier club competition before, while the visitors last clinched the title in 2016 right here in Egypt, when they beat Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate.
Match preview
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Since their move to Cairo in 2018, Pyramids have taken giant strides forward, and lifting the CAF Champions League trophy would be the ultimate validation of the club's bold investments in recent years.
Regardless of the outcome in this match, Pyramids will look back at the 2024-25 season fondly, having ended the Egyptian Premier League campaign in second place, just two points behind perennial champions Al Ahly.
Additionally, they are also set to face Zamalek in the Egyptian FA Cup just four days after this match, meaning that a victory here will put them in the running to secure their first-ever double.
Krunoslav Jurcic's side looked set to enter this second leg a goal down, but they managed to clinch a crucial equaliser in stoppage time in the first leg, with Walid El Karti finding the target at Loftus Versfeld.
Given that the CAF Champions League still employs the away goals rule as a tiebreaker, it is this week's hosts that now hold the advantage, and the onus lies on the visitors to find a goal to remain in the tie.
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Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns will be kicking themselves for that late concession last week, especially when considering how well they defended their home patch this season, having only conceded once before the first leg.
While Masandawana have not won this competition in almost a decade, they are certainly no stranger to the knockout stages, having reached the semi-final in the last two seasons and only failed to make it out of the group stage once since their title-winning campaign.
The Brazilians won the South African PSL title for an eighth consecutive time this season, finishing 12 points ahead of Orlando Pirates, who were beaten by Pyramids 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final of this competition.
A 1-0 victory or any draw above a 1-1 for Miguel Cardoso's side will earn them the title, though they will know that will not be an easy feat, given that their opponents have scored 20 goals in their five Champions League home games to date.
Additionally, Sundowns have found victories on the road in this competition difficult to come by, having only won one of their five away games to date, while drawing three and losing one of their remaining four outings.
Team News
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Fiston Mayele had a fairly quiet outing in Pretoria last week, but he is the joint-highest scorer in the competition with five goals, four of which have come in his last two matches here at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium.
Abdelrahman Magdy and Ramadan Sobhi made the bench last week despite initially being flagged as doubts, and with both expected to be involved again this week, Pyramids' only confirmed absentee is Osama Galal, who has been sidelined since December.
For the visitors, stalwart Themba Zwane and Mothobi Mvala recently returned from long-term injuries, and while the pair were unused substitutes in the first leg, they could have a role to play in Sunday's decisive clash.
Lucas Ribeiro found the net for Sundowns last week, but with his strike partners Iqraam Rayners and Arthur Sales failing to impress, Peter Shalulile could be in line for a return to the starting 11 this week.
The Brazilians have just one confirmed absentee for their trip to Cairo, with South African international Rivaldo Coetzee ruled out of the clash due to an ACL injury sustained back in November last year.
Pyramids FC possible starting lineup:
El-Shenawy; Chibi, Marei, Samy, Hamdy; Lasheen, Toure; El Sayed, El Karti, Adel; Mayele
Mamelodi Sundowns possible starting lineup:
Williams; Mudau, Kekana, Lebusa, Modiba; Allende, Mokoena; Costa, Rayners, Matthews; Shalulile
We say: Pyramids FC 1-1 Mamelodi Sundowns (Mamelodi Sundowns win on penalties)
While Pyramids have been rampant at home this season, they struggled to create many clear-cut chances against Sundowns' stingy defence in the first leg, and that could be the case again this weekend.
Masandawana have to find an early goal to calm their nerves in this match, but outscoring their opponents may prove difficult. We feel this one may need penalties to decide, and Ronwen Williams is a proven class act in that regard, having stopped four of five from the spot at the AFCON last year against Cape Verde.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
