Coud be it’s fortunate 13 for Mamelodi Sundowns as they play in Egypt but once more, this time in Sunday’s second leg of the African Champions League ultimate?
The South African staff will hoping to maintain up their latest type within the north African nation to be topped continental champions.
Sundowns have been held to a 1-1 house draw by Pyramids in Saturday’s first leg at Loftus Versfeld and should rating in Sunday’s return (kick off 7pm, stay on SuperSport) if they’re to face any probability of a second Champions League triumph.
Here’s a take a look at the 12 earlier matches that Sundowns have performed on Egyptian soil:
Al Ahly 3 Sundowns 0 (December 21, 2001):
A rare recreation within the second leg of the Champions League ultimate after a 1-1 draw within the first leg at Loftus Versfeld. Sundowns dominated possession on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium and have been by far the extra attacking outfit however bought picked off by the brilliance of house striker Khaled Bebo’s.
Sundowns conceded a penalty within the thirty seventh minute, and Bebo added yet one more on the stroke of halftime after which a 3rd in stoppage time on the finish of the sport.
Sundowns got heat applause by the Ahly followers when the picked up their runners-up medals.
Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (April 21, 2007):
Sundowns had the misfortune of drawing Al Ahly within the spherical earlier than the knockout stage and did effectively, after going 0-2 down inside the primary 55 minutes, to attract the primary leg at Loftus Versfeld 2-2.
However in a two-legged tie that could be a recipe for catastrophe, and it got here as no shock that Ahly received the second leg 2-0 to undergo 4-2 on mixture. B
Nevertheless it did take them till the 68th minute on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium to attain after Benson Mhlongo tripped Mohamed Barakat and Shady Mohamed tucked the resultant penalty.
Mohamed Aboutrika added one mote for good measure 10 minutes later.
Zamalek 1 Sundowns 2 (July 17, 2016):
A fortunate break for Sundowns as they have been eradicated within the early rounds of the Champions League however then restored to the competitors, and straight into the group part, after early spherical opponents AS Vita Membership from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been discovered to have used a defaulter.
Pitso Mosimane’s aspect wanted no second invitation and received their opening two Group B matches earlier than taking up Zamalek on the Petrosport Stadium in Cairo and profitable 2-1 with objectives from Tiyani Mabunda and Khama Billiat for his or her first triumph on Egyptian soil.
They went onto win their group and get to the ultimate.
Zamalek 1 Sundowns 0 (October 23, 2016):
The 2 golf equipment met once more within the 2016 Champions League ultimate with Sundowns taking the primary leg in Atteridgeville in emphatic style.
Even supposing solely as soon as in additional than 50 years of competitors had a membership come again from a 3 purpose deficit in a Champions League ultimate, Zamalek took the sport to Sundowns within the second leg in Alexandria, the place Egypt’s draconian rules on crowds had appear the federal government announce a restrict of 20 000 spectators however 70 000 turned up nonetheless on the Borg El Arab Stadium to make sure a rollicking environment.
Sundowns’ sturdy defence foiled relentless assaults and the specter of a counter purpose was all the time on the playing cards till Stanley Ohawuchi lastly netted for the Egyptians after 62 minutes.
That then signalled a siege of the Sundowns purpose however time ran out for Zamalek and a disillusioned crowd swiftly emptied the stadium, leaving the South Africans to rejoice with a small band of some 200 supporters.
Al Ahly 1 Sundowns 0 (April 13, 2019): This end result didn’t matter, as a result of Sundowns had handed Ahly a sobering footballing lesson in Atteridgeville the week earlier than.
The 5-0 house win for Mosimane and his Brazilians within the Champions League quarterfinal was the heaviest defeat suffered in virtually 80 years by the Cairo giants which explains why Mosimane went on to turn into coach of the Egyptian membership.
Solely essentially the most ardent of Ahly followers believed their aspect might overturn the deficit at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Stadium and Sundowns have been by no means in any hazard of a collapse which may provide Ahly a glimmer of house.
A comfort win was secured by a purpose within the final 20 minutes from Walid Azaro.
Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (29 February, 2020):
Sundowns had received their group forward of Wydad Casablanca whereas Ahly have been runners-up to Etoile Sahel and subsequently needed to host the primary leg of the quarterfinal tie.
It was the final journey by a South African membership earlier than the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and a harsh lesson on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium as fullback Ali Maaloul scored twice within the house of 12 minutes within the second half handy Mosimane and his males a juddering jolt of realism.
The return leg at Atteridgeville was a 1-1 draw, with Ahly advancing 3-1 on mixture to the semifinal, then postponed and solely competed six months later with Mosimane by then having switched employers,.
Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 0 (15 Could, 2021): A 3rd 12 months in a row that the 2 golf equipment drew one another within the final eight, with the Egyptians once more having to play the primary leg at house as a result of they didn’t prime their group, ending runners-up to shock bundle Simba.
Irrespective of, as Ahly took it up a notch and handed Mosimane a win over his previous employer on the Al Ahly Stadium.
Taher Mohamed and Salah Mohsen scored on both aspect of the break whereas Reward Motupa and Musa Lebusa each got here shut for The Brazilians.
A Denis Onyango error allowed Ahly to double the rating and go on and advance once more with a 3-1 mixture triumph after a stalemate within the return match in Mzansi.
Al Merrikh 0 Sundowns 0 (19 February, 2022): The Sudanese giants have been renovating their stadium in Omdurman and their nice home rivals Al Hilal refused to permit them to make use of the opposite stadium on the outskirts of the capital Khartoum, so Al Merrikh took this Champions League group match to the Al Ahly Stadium in Cairo the place the match ended goalless.
Al Ahly 0 Sundowns 1 (26 February, 2022): Straight after the Al Merrikh encounter, Sundowns stayed on within the Egyptian capital to tackle Al Ahly on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium and noticed Thapelo Morena seize an Eighty fifth-minute winner to finish a run of 5 successive away defeats at a the palms of Ahly.
It was solely the second ever win on Egyptian soil for Sundowns who went on to prime Group A with a file haul of 16 factors, profitable 5 and drawing one among their group matches.
After that got here an virtually inevitable freeze and a shock quarterfinal exit by the hands of Angola’s Petro Atletico.
Al Ahly 2 Sundowns 2 (25 February, 2023): But once more Sundowns and Al Ahly have been paired in the identical Champions League group and on the Al Ahly Stadium the pair placed on a rollocking exhibiting as they drew in what was the center match of their six-game programme in Group B.
Peter Shalulile had Sundowns forward not lengthy after the half hour mark however he Cairo giants rallied within the second half earlier than Morena scored a late equaliser, virtually a 12 months to the day after his winner when the 2 golf equipment met within the earlier version.
Pyramids 0 Sundowns 1 (19 December, 2023): 9 days after a goalless draw between the 2 golf equipment at Loftus Versfeld, Sundowns took on Pyramids once more on the 30 June Stadium in Cairo and noticed Tebeho Mokoena crack house after 17 minutes to win the Champions League group recreation with a rocket-like shot from effectively outdoors the penalty space.
Sundowns would go on and win the group and get so far as the semifinal the place they got here unstuck towards Tunisia’s Esperance however Pyramids completed final within the group and didn’t advance to the knockout phases.
Al Ahly 1 Sundowns 1 (25 April, 2025): After successive semifinal setbacks, it was third time fortunate for Sundowns who heading out of the Champions League when a fortuitous last-minute personal purpose from Yasser Ibrahim on the Cairo Worldwide Stadium handed the South Africans a spot within the 2025 Champions League ultimate as they edged Al Ahly on the away objectives rule.
