Egyptians Duel with South Africans in African Champions League Semi-Finals

This weekend, two Egyptian clubs will clash with their South African counterparts in the semi-finals of this season’s African Champions League, marking a noteworthy bilateral matchup.

The reigning champions, Al Ahly, are on the hunt for their fifth title in six years as they face Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria on Saturday. Sundowns, who once inflicted a record defeat on Al Ahly, have unfortunately found themselves exiting early in the knockout stages despite strong performances during the group phase.

Also on Saturday, Pyramids aim to solidify their rapid rise as a significant force in African football when they go head-to-head with Orlando Pirates in Soweto.

The return fixtures will take place in Cairo next Friday, with the victors moving on to the two-legged final set for late May and early June.

Al Ahly stands as the powerhouse of African football, boasting 12 previous Champions League titles, while the other three semi-finalists have garnered just two trophies combined—Pirates in 1995 and Sundowns in 2016.

Despite their impressive history, Al Ahly are not seen as the favourites this time around, following underwhelming displays during the league phase that left them as runners-up in their group.

Swiss coach Marc Koller has faced criticism recently due to the team’s lacklustre performance, especially after a setback against Pyramids in the domestic league.

In the past, Sundowns dealt Al Ahly a shocking 5-0 defeat in the 2019 quarter-finals and inflicted another heavy loss with a five-goal performance in Pretoria during the group stage two years ago.

However, the South African outfit, owned by the family of Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe, has a longstanding reputation for falling short in the knockout rounds.

Saudi Investments

Pyramids are making their second appearance in the Champions League.

Founded in 2008, the club relocated to Cairo a decade later following a takeover by Saudi investors and is now positioned to clinch their first Egyptian championship by the end of this season.

Meanwhile, their opponents, the Pirates, were among only two unbeaten teams during the group stages and have achieved three away victories in North Africa during this campaign.

To secure a strong advantage, they will need a win on home turf against Pyramids on Saturday before heading to Cairo for the return leg.

This is not the first occasion that clubs from different countries have squared off in both semi-finals of the Champions League.

In 2020, Al Ahly triumphed over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca with a 5-1 aggregate scoreline in the semi-finals, while Zamalek outperformed Raja Casablanca with a 4-1 victory across their two matches.

Ultimately, Al Ahly overcame their Cairo rivals Zamalek with a close 2-1 win in the final held in the Egyptian capital.