Sundowns Suffer Champions League Final Heartbreak Against Pyramids

Mamelodi Sundowns could not overturn the deficit as Pyramids made history by defeating the South African giants 2-1 in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final on Sunday evening at the 30 June Stadium.

The win marked Pyramids’ first-ever Champions League title, and it came on the back of a 3-2 aggregate score after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in South Africa.

The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams creating chances in the opening 10 minutes. However, it was Pyramids who struck first, with Congolese striker Mayele scoring a great goal in the 24th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made a crucial save in the 30th minute, denying Mayele’s header and keeping his team in the game.

In the second half, Pyramids doubled their lead through Ahmed Samy’s header in the 56th minute, which proved to be the decisive goal.

Sundowns pulled one back in the 75th minute through Iqraam Rayners, but it was too little, too late.

The Brazilians had several chances to score, but Pyramids’ goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy made several crucial saves to deny them.

This is the first time the Pyramids have won the Champions League in their history, and the fourth side from Egypt to win the tournament. Sundowns, it was a disappointing loss, their second defeat in a Champions League final after losing in 2001. They had won the title in 2016 under the guidance of Pitso Mosimane.

Pyramids’ coach, Krunoslav Jurcic, became the first Croatian manager to win the Champions League title. Jurcic, who joined Pyramids in February 2024, has had a successful managerial career, guiding several clubs to trophies, including Dinamo Zagreb and Al-Nasr.

He will now aim to add another trophy to his collection when Pyramids faces Zamalek in the Egyptian Super Cup on 5 June.

Sundowns’ coach, Miguel Cardoso, was playing his second consecutive Champions League final after losing to Al Ahly in 2024 with Esperance de Tunis.

Cardoso became the second coach to lead different clubs to consecutive Champions League finals after Oscar Fullone, who achieved this feat with ASEC Mimosas in 1998 and Raja Club Athletic in 1999.

The Champions League final was a fitting conclusion to an exciting season, with Pyramids’ win marking a new chapter in Egyptian football.

The team’s success will undoubtedly inspire young players and fans across the continent, and it will be interesting to see how they build on this achievement in the future.