African Champions League title stays in Egypt after Pyramids beats Mamelodi Sundowns

By: The Associated Press Posted: 6:37 AM CDT Monday, Jun. 2, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — The African Champions League soccer title stayed in Egypt with Pyramids winning the final Sunday just seven years after the club was renamed and moved to Cairo.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

CAIRO (AP) — The African Champions League soccer title stayed in Egypt with Pyramids winning the final Sunday just seven years after the club was renamed and moved to Cairo.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/06/2025 (487 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CAIRO (AP) — The African Champions League soccer title stayed in Egypt with Pyramids winning the final Sunday just seven years after the club was renamed and moved to Cairo.

The president of African soccer’s governing body Patrice Motsepe presented the trophy after watching the South African club he owns, Mamelodi Sundowns, lose the second leg in Cairo 2-1, giving Pyramids a 3-2 aggregate win.

Pyramids took a first-half lead with Congo forward Fiston Mayele’s competition-best ninth goal. Defender Ahmed Samy added a second in the 56th minute for the team coached by Krunoslav Jurčić from Croatia.

Pyramids players celebrate with the trophy after winning the CAF Champions League final second leg soccer match against Mamelodi Sundowns at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo)

Iqraam Rayners cut the lead in the 75th and Pyramids survived pressure during 10 minutes of stoppage time added.

Egypt now has a record 19 African club titles by four different teams. Al Ahly has 12, including the past two competitions, Zamalek has five and Ismaily one.

Pyramids was rebranded and brought to the Egyptian capital in 2018 by Saudi sports executive Turki Al-Sheikh, who is now a key official in boxing. One year later the big-spending club’s new owner was Salem Al-Shamsi, a businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who had been its vice president.

Pyramids’ first African title earned a place at FIFA’s Club World Cup in 2029.

Sundowns, which won its only African title in 2016, qualified to play in the United States next month in the first 32-team edition of the FIFA tournament.

The South African club was drawn in a group to play Ulsan in Orlando on June 17, then Borussia Dortmund in Cincinnati and Fluminense in Miami.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer