Pyramids FC struck late in the second half to rescue a 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Saturday.
CAF Champions League
Result: Mamelodi Sundowns 1-1 Pyramids FC
Date: 24 May 2025
Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Arthur Sales has been rewarded for his form over the past month and joined Iqraam Rayners in the attack, while Grant Kekana came in for Khoza in central defence as the only big chance from last week's win over Magesi FC.
The Brazilians made all the noise in the early stages, with Rayners unleashing a strike from distance that forced Pyramids goalkeeper into a fine save.
The Egyptian should have broken the deadlock after 18 minutes when Fiston Mayele managed to break free on the left side of the box, however the striker sent his low strike just wide of Ronwen William's upright before the same player passed up on another opening minutes later.
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was not happy with how Pyramids were getting on the ball and made a change after 36 minutes when Tashreeq Matthews made way for Jayden Adams to bolster the midfield options.
The introduction of Adams did add a bit more steel to the Sundowns midfield, but they continued to struggle in the final third as star man Lucas Costa Ribeiro was kept quiet for most of the half.
After a quiet first half, Ribeiro sprung to life eight minutes in when he pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired into the top corner on 54 minutes to hand Sundowns the lead.
The Egyptians unsurprisingly looked to get themselves back in the contest but they were finding it tough to carve out clear-cut openings, as Williams was a spectator for most of the encounter.
Coach Cardoso opted to refresh the team for the final 13 minutes as Peter Shalulile was introduced in place of Sales in attempt to catch the visitors lacking as they pushed for the equaliser.
Sundowns were unable to see out the closing stages as Pyramids brought themselves level in second-half stoppage time thanks to Walid El Karti's header at the far post.
Here's how they lined up:
Mamelodi Sundowns: Williams, Mudau, Lebusa, Kekana, Modiba, Mokoena, Allende, Matthews, Ribeiro, Rayners, Sales
Subs: Onyango, Maema, Aubaas, Zwane, Adams, Morena, Lunga, Mvala, Shalulile
Pyramids: El-Shenaway, Chibi, Mahmouud, Saad, Eldin, El Sawy, Toure, El-Karti, Abdelmonem, Mayele, Adel.
