Mamelodi Sundowns punched their ticket to the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League in dramatic fashion, edging Al Ahly on away goals after a tense 1-1 draw under the Cairo lights on Friday night.
Having played out a goalless stalemate in the first leg in Pretoria, the South African giants arrived in Egypt knowing a score draw would be enough to see them through — and they delivered with nerves of steel and hearts of champions.
Al Ahly drew first blood through Taher Mohamed, who broke the deadlock in style midway through the first half. Teed up by the ever-inventive Emam Ashour, Taher lashed home a thunderous strike from outside the box, sending the home fans into raptures.
The Egyptian giants, roared on by a packed Cairo International Stadium, took control of the game and looked poised to finally snap their eight-match winless run against the Brazilians.
But football writes its own scripts, and Sundowns weren’t done yet.
With just ten minutes left on the clock, a low cross into the danger zone sowed chaos in the Al Ahly backline. Under intense pressure from Peter Shalulile, defender Yasser Ibrahim bundled the ball into his own net — a cruel blow for the home side, but a golden moment for Sundowns.
Al Ahly threw the kitchen sink in the dying minutes, with Achraf Bencharki and Wessam Abou Ali both going agonizingly close to snatching a winner. But the Sundowns’ backline held firm, producing a defensive masterclass to preserve the precious away goal advantage.
It’s a historic result for the Pretoria-based outfit, who extend their unbeaten run against the record 11-time African champions to nine matches. More importantly, it sends them to the final — their first since 2016 — where they will face Egyptian side Pyramids FC.
MASANDAWANA TO THE FINAL! 🤯#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/Fwlrn8N2HL
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) April 25, 2025Pyramids sealed their own place in the showpiece earlier in the evening with a thrilling 3-2 home win over Orlando Pirates, bouncing back twice in a rollercoaster encounter before Fiston Mayele’s late winner sent the 30 June Stadium into delirium.
Now, two of the continent’s most in-form sides — Sundowns and Pyramids — will collide in what promises to be an electrifying CAF Champions League final.
For Al Ahly and Pirates, it’s heartbreak — but for Sundowns and Pyramids, the dream is very much alive.
One more step to glory!
Pyramids FC are into the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL finals for the first time ever! 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/17sev5OXfO
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) April 25, 2025
