Mamelodi Sundowns’ pursuit of continental glory ended in heartbreak on Sunday night as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Pyramids FC in Cairo, handing the Egyptian side their first-ever CAF Champions League title with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Masandawana mounted a spirited late surge, but Pyramids held firm to etch their name in African football history.
Sundowns made a single tweak to their lineup from the first leg, reinstating Jayden Adams in place of Arthur Sales. Pyramids also made just one change, with Ramadan Sobhi returning to the starting XI.
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Although Sundowns dominated early possession, it was Pyramids who posed the initial threat. Fiston Mayele came close with a side-footed strike that rippled the side netting following a well-delivered cross.
The breakthrough arrived midway through the first half when Mayele capitalized on a costly error from Grant Kekana, who lost the ball inside the box. The striker pounced with a fierce first-time finish past Ronwen Williams to give Pyramids the lead.
After taking control of the match, Pyramids almost extended their advantage through Sobhi, whose header from a corner was expertly saved by Williams to keep Sundowns in the contest.
In first-half stoppage time, Sundowns had a golden chance to equalize when Lucas Ribeiro threaded a perfect pass through to Tashreeq Matthews. However, Matthews failed to beat Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy, whose save proved crucial.
Sundowns emerged from the break determined to launch one last push for glory. They pressed hard and created chances, but Egypt international El Shenawy was once again a towering figure between the sticks, pulling off multiple acrobatic saves.
In the 55th minute, Pyramids doubled their lead through Ahmed Samy, who headed in a superb free kick from Mohamed Chibi. After a tense VAR review for offside, the goal was upheld, putting the hosts 2-0 ahead and 3-1 on aggregate.
Sundowns refused to give up, however, and were able to respond in the 75th minute when Iqraam Rayners struck a powerful volley from a loose ball in the box to make it 2-1. Another VAR review confirmed the goal, giving the South African side hope with 15 minutes to play.
The visitors launched wave after wave of attack in the closing stages, throwing everything at the Pyramids defence, but El Shenawy produced a series of miraculous saves to deny them again and again.
In stoppage time, Sundowns had one last surge. Ribeiro twisted through defenders inside the box, but he was crowded out. The referee finally blew for full-time after 100 minutes, confirming Pyramids FC’s first CAF Champions League title – and heartbreak for Masandawana.