By Mark Gleeson
PRETORIA (Reuters) – South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns will be hot favourites to win a second CAF Champions League title when they face Pyramids in the two-leg final but the Cairo side have proven themselves no pushovers after shaking up a duopoly in Egyptian football.
Pretoria-based Sundowns, who won the continental title in 2016, host Saturday’s first leg at Loftus Versfeld before travelling to Cairo for the return on June 1.
The South Africans are frequent visitors to the business end of the tournament, reaching at least the quarter-finals in seven of the last eight editions.
But while they have an impressive pedigree, striding through the group stages in previous editions and even setting a record for the number of points attained in the process, they have developed a reputation for wilting under the pressure of the knockout rounds.
They looked to be going out in the semi-finals for a third successive season last month when a last-minute own goal handed them a 1-1 draw at holders Al Ahly of Egypt and allowed them to advance to the final on the away goals rule.
Coached by Portuguese Miguel Cardoso, Sundowns are owned by the family of Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe, one of the richest men in Africa.
Motsepe has pumped money into the club and given them resources far exceeding those of almost all their rivals.
Last week they secured a record-extending eighth successive South African Premiership title and next month head to the Club World Cup with a squad strengthened by signings from Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Pyramids have emerged from the shadows of Egypt’s two major clubs, Al Ahly and Zamalek, having only been formed in 2008 and then moving to Cairo a decade later after being taken over by Saudi investors.
The club now have United Arab Emirates ownership and were given the financial might to compete with Al Ahly and Zamalek for Egypt’s top talent, as well as buying players from elsewhere in Africa to bolster their squad.
They are competing in the Champions League final for the first time, having reached the title match at only the second attempt.
Pyramids are also in the hunt for a first Egyptian league title and will play in the country’s cup final against Zamalek on June 5.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
