Pyramids FC made history on Tuesday night by qualifying for their first-ever CAF Champions League semi-final, edging out Morocco’s FAR Rabat despite a 2-0 defeat in the second leg at the Stade d’Honneur in Meknes.

The Egyptian side progressed 4-3 on aggregate after their emphatic 4-1 win in Cairo last week gave them a crucial cushion heading into the away leg.

That first-leg advantage proved decisive, as the Royal Army fell just one goal short of completing an incredible comeback in front of their home fans.

The Moroccan Royal Army started fast, hoping to wipe off a three-goal deficit. They nearly did, but fell just short.

Backed by a lively crowd in Meknes, the Moroccan outfit came out firing. Youssef El-Fahli opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, raising hopes of an early resurgence.

The early strike injected confidence into the Royal Army’s play as they surged forward in waves, firing full cylinders as they were determined to erase the deficit.

Pyramids, however, responded swiftly. Defender Mohamed Hamdy nearly silenced the crowd with a powerful header in the 12th minute, only to be denied by goalkeeper Hamza Hayani, who tipped it wide.

Despite the mounting pressure, Pyramids remained composed at the back, with veteran goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shenawy delivering a composed performance to keep his side’s aggregate lead intact through the first half.

Second-half tension and late drama

The restart saw FAR Rabat players maintain their momentum. El-Fahli had a golden opportunity to grab a second just minutes in, but El-Shenawy was equal to the challenge once again, making two vital saves in quick succession.

The breakthrough finally came in the 82nd minute when substitute Joel Villa struck the second goal, setting up a nervy finish.

The Moroccans continued to push, and in the 93rd minute, they were inches away from a third when Zahzouh’s free-kick narrowly missed the target.

Pyramids held on through five minutes of added time, showing grit and resilience to protect their narrow aggregate lead and book a place in the last four of the continent’s premier club competition.

The Egyptian club will now await the winner of the other quarter-final between Orlando Pirates and MC Alger. Pirates hold a slender 1-0 advantage heading into the second leg on Wednesday.

For Pyramids FC, this is a landmark achievement in their short but ambitious history. Having risen rapidly through Egyptian football in recent years, the club now finds itself among the continent’s elite with a shot at continental glory.

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A mouth-watering semi-final duel has been set up in the CAF Champions League as Egypt’s Al Ahly will face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ahly, cup holders, secured their place in the semi-finals after completing a double over Al Hilal with a 1-0 second-leg win at the Sheikh Bedia Stadium in Mauritania on Tuesday evening.

Having already won the first leg by the same scoreline in Cairo, the defending champions delivered another disciplined performance away from home to seal a 2-0 aggregate victory.

Al Ahly will now turn their attention to a blockbuster semi-final showdown against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who overcame Esperance de Tunis in their own quarter-final tie.

The two clubs have forged a tense rivalry in recent seasons, and their upcoming encounter is set to draw continental attention once again.

Since 2011, both have met 13 times with Sundowns winning five of the encounters, while Ahly won four. The remaining four duels were drawn.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, Casablanca

Morocco’s FAR Rabat has filed an official complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Egypt’s Pyramids FC for violating tournament regulations by limiting ticket access to away supporters during their CAF Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

Pyramids won the match, 4-1, leaving the Moroccan military football club a herculean task in the return leg in Rabat.

The Moroccan club remarked that it was defending the rights of its fans, adding that “football is a joy for everyone, and all supporters should be able to cheer their teams in a fair and safe atmosphere.”

In a statement published on the club’s official Facebook page, FAR Rabat said Pyramids had allocated only 200 tickets to their travelling supporters — far below the CAF-mandated minimum of 5 per cent of total stadium capacity, which the Moroccan side says should have amounted to at least 1,500 seats.

FAR added that, following the Monday technical meeting, they raised the issue with CAF and Pyramids management.

While CAF reportedly issued a directive requesting that Pyramids increase the allocation to avoid potential security concerns, the Egyptian club only added another 100 tickets, leaving “hundreds of Moroccan fans” outside the stadium, read the statement.

“These unacceptable practices… reflect a lack of respect for the rules and for the supporters who travelled from Morocco to support their team,” the club said, warning of “serious security risks” and calling for measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.

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