Pyramids and Zamalek Take Narrow Leads into CAF Champions League Second Legs

Former CAF Champions League winners Pyramids FC and Zamalek secured victories in their respective second preliminary round first-leg matches on Friday as they continued their campaigns for a place in the 2026/27 competition.

Pyramids claimed a narrow 1-0 win over El Merreikh Bentiu, while Zamalek left it late to defeat Rwanda’s APR FC in Kigali, with substitute Nasser Mansi scoring the decisive goal in the closing moments.

Saber put Pyramids ahead in the 32nd minute, giving Rulani Mokwena’s side a slender advantage to take into the return fixture in two weeks.

Pyramids reduced to 10 men

Pyramids were forced to finish the match with 10 players after Mahmoud Marei received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 89th minute.

Marei will consequently miss the second leg, joining Iyad Al-Asqalani on the sidelines after the latter received two yellow cards during Pyramids’ first preliminary round ties against Kenya’s Gor Mahia.

Having eliminated Gor Mahia 7-1 on aggregate to reach this stage, Pyramids struggled to reproduce their best form against El Merreikh Bentiu and were unable to convert more of their scoring opportunities.

The Egyptian side will host the return leg at Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium on October 24, aiming to defend their advantage and book a place among the 16 teams in the group stage.

The winners of both ties will progress to the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition, which is scheduled to get underway at the end of November.

Zamalek had to wait until the 90th minute to break down a stubborn APR FC side at Amahoro Stadium, with the Egyptian giants securing a narrow victory in Kigali.

Having reached this stage after eliminating Djibouti’s AS Port 6-1 on aggregate, Zamalek found the breakthrough through substitute Nasser Mansi, silencing the home supporters with a decisive late goal.

APR created several promising opportunities and controlled significant spells of the match, but their inability to convert their chances proved costly. A lapse in concentration in the closing moments ultimately allowed Zamalek to snatch the win.

Zamalek will take a slender advantage into the second leg, where they will host APR on home soil. The Rwandan side reached this round after overcoming Aigles du Congo 3-1 on aggregate, overturning an initial deficit with a convincing 3-0 victory in the return fixture.

Zamalek boast an impressive record in African football, having won five CAF Champions League titles, two CAF Confederation Cup crowns, five CAF Super Cups and one African Cup Winners’ Cup. They also became the first Egyptian club to win the CAF Super Cup in 1994.

Simba SC face FC 15 de Agosto

Elsewhere, Tanzania’s Simba SC are set to face Equatorial Guinea’s FC 15 de Agosto on Saturday, October 17.

Simba advanced to the second preliminary round after crushing Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers 7-1 on aggregate. Meanwhile, FC 15 de Agosto booked their place in this stage with a 5-0 aggregate triumph over Comoros side Fomboni FC, winning the first leg 4-0 before claiming a 1-0 victory in the return encounter.

Simba head into the match in impressive form, having defeated Azam FC 2-0, Mighty Wanderers 6-1 and Young Africans 2-1 before recording another emphatic 6-1 win over Mashujaa on Tuesday.