•Pyramids defender Mohamed Chibi (L) fights for the ball with Sundowns forward Arthur Sales (R)
Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurcic has pleaded for Egyptian fans to attend the CAF Champions League final second leg against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns in Cairo on Sunday.
While fellow Cairo clubs and African giants Al Ahly and Zamalek can attract capacity 73,000 crowds to the national stadium, Pyramids have a supporter base of just a few thousand, reports AFP.
“We are almost alone, we deserve support, we are representing Egypt,” the 55-year-old former Croatia midfielder told reporters as Pyramids seek a first African title.
After Walid el Karti scored in added time to snatch a 1-1 first-leg draw with Sundowns in Pretoria last weekend, Pyramids have transformed from underdogs to slight favourites.
Sundowns had taken an early second-half lead through Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro, only to concede with just 37 seconds remaining.
Europe has scrapped the away-goal rule in club competitions, but Africa continues to apply it, meaning a 0-0 draw at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo will give Pyramids the title.
A 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and the final goes to penalties, while a score draw with more goals would see Sundowns crowned champions a second time after winning the 2016 final.
Winning the premier African club competition at only the second attempt would cap a remarkable rise for a club bankrolled by Saudi and, more recently, Emirati petro dollars.
Formed in 2008 as Al Assiouty, the club moved to Cairo 10 years later, changed their name, and had the funds to lure some of the best talent in Egypt and Africa.
While the majority of the team are Egyptians, Moroccans Mohamed Chibi and El Karti, Burkinabe Blati Toure and star Democratic Republic of Congo forward Fiston Mayele started in Pretoria.
Jurcic favours an offensive approach and hailed the surprise finalists after holding a Sundowns side including South American stars like Ribeiro and Chilean Marcelo Allende.
‘Heroes’
“The players were heroes and deserve praise for their excellent performance. Sundowns are a much more experienced Champions League team,” he said.
Sundowns are competing in the annual competition an 18th time, and have failed to reach the knockout phase only once since defeating Zamalek in the 2016 title decider.
Pyramids debuted in the Champions League last season and exited after winning only one of six group matches. They did draw at Sundowns then, but fell 1-0 at home to the Pretoria outfit.
Jurcic, who joined Pyramids after the previous Champions League campaign, admits he is nervous ahead of the return match “because we have not won anything yet”.
Pyramids rested most of their first choices when beating Ceramica Cleopatra 5-1 on Wednesday, but had to settle for second place behind Al Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League.
Now their sights are on a double — the CAF Champions League and the Egypt FA Cup. They face Zamalek in the final of the domestic knockout competition on June 5.
Sundowns’ Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso wants to avoid losing successive Champions League finals after his previous club, Esperance of Tunisia, lost to Ahly last season.
“We need mental strength because the destiny of the trophy is wide open. We must show the greater desire,” he told reporters.
“Heroes emerge in difficult circumstances. It is easy to become a hero in favourable times,” added the 53-year-old hired by Sundowns last December.
Like Pyramids, Sundowns have rich backers. The club is owned by Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe and run by his oldest son, Tlhopie.
They are the dominant force in South Africa having just won an eighth straight league title, but the trophy they crave is the Champions League.
