1. 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.

• 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.

• 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.

• 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).

• 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.

• 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.

• 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).

• 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.

• 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.

1.  10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home

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1. 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).

• 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).

• 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.

• 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.

• 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.

• 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).

• 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.

• 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).

• 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).

1. 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.

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Egypt’s Pyramids hope to rally local support for Sunday’s African Champions League final as they face the possibility of hosting the second leg in a near-empty stadium in Cairo against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

Coach Krunoslav Jurcic said it would be a “miracle” if his side could attract support from a city whose citizens overwhelmingly back one of the two traditional Cairo giants — Al Ahly or Zamalek.

Pyramids have emerged from their shadow to contest a first Champions League final and battled to a 1-1 draw away in Pretoria in the first leg.

“We are expecting tomorrow a lot of people in the stadium. This will be a miracle,” Jurcic told a press conference on Saturday at the June 30 Stadium on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital.

“Lately, a lot of people have been speaking positively about Pyramids. They are supporters of other clubs in Egypt, but they will come to watch because Pyramids is an Egyptian club.

“Tomorrow, all of Egypt will be with Pyramids, and this is our big success, this is the miracle for us,” the Croatian coach said.

They had only a few thousand in the stands when they triumphed in a high-tempo semi-final against another South Africa club Orlando Pirates last month.

Pyramids moved to Cairo in 2018 and changed their name under new Saudi owners. They have since been taken over by investors from the United Arab Emirates but failed to attract much support despite challenging the traditional duopoly in recent years.

But Jurcic made it clear they were still treated as outsiders as he again criticised Egypt’s football association, which made them play a league game on Wednesday.

“Where else in the world is a club forced to play a local match a few days before they compete in a Champions League final?,” he said.

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, however, said he did not think it would have any effect on Pyramids’ chances in the final.

“They rested most of their key players on Wednesday,” he said of Pyramids’ 5-1 win over Ceramica Cleopatra in their last league fixture of the season.

Cardoso also did not think a small crowd would hinder their hosts.

“They are used to playing without fans and they still fight for their championship and got to the Champions League final. It’s not because of that that they didn’t perform,” Cardoso added.

-Reuters

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