Walid El Karti scored a late equalizer deep into stoppage time to hand Pyramids a dramatic 1-1 draw away to Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final.
In a tense matchup at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Sundowns looked to be heading toward a narrow first-leg win after Lucas Ribeiro fired them in front in the 55th minute. But El-Karti managed to head home a cross from Mohanad Lasheen in the 95th minute.
Pyramids now have the chance to win their first-ever CAF Champions League title next Saturday at home in Cairo. A win of any margin would crown them African champions and make them the fourth Egyptian club to lift the continent’s most prestigious trophy.
The game saw a lively start from Pyramids, with Ibrahim Adel and Fiston Mayele both going close early on. Goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shennawy was called into action with a sharp save to deny Iqraam Rayners at the other end, but the first half ended goalless despite several dangerous chances from the Egyptian side.
The breakthrough came early in the second half when Ribeiro struck a curling effort past Ahmed El-Shennawy after a chaotic sequence in the box. Following the goal, Sundowns mainly controlled possession.
Head coach Krunoslav Jurčić introduced Ramadan Sobhi and Marwan Hamdy in the final minutes in search of a lifeline. In the fifth minute of added time, Lasheen’s cross found Walid El-Karti, whose header found the back of the net just moments before the final whistle.
The second leg will be played on June 1st in Cairo, where Pyramids will look to complete the job and lift their first continental title in club history.