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South African and Egyptian rivalry continues in Cairo on Friday

football23 April 2025 11:40| © Mzansi Football
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Orlando Pirates © Gallo Images

Both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for their African Champions League semifinal second- leg ties on Friday as they try to set up an all-South African final next month.

But both Premier Soccer League teams will be unfancied after failing to win at home in their respective first legs last weekend.

Sundowns were held to a goalless draw by holders Al Ahly at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and Pirates and Pyramids also played out a 0-0 draw when they met later last Saturday at the Orlando Stadium.

Al Ahly host Sundowns at the Cairo International Stadium at 6pm South African time followed by Pyramids up against Pirates at the Air Defence Stadium at 8pm (both live on SuperSport).

There have already been six meetings between clubs from the two countries this season and a total of 62 overall in a rivalry that goes right back to the first year that South African sides participated in the continental competitions.

The Egyptians hold the upper hand in the previous meetings with 21 wins, 21 draws and 20 defeats but there is no doubt they do not relish coming up against South African opposition.

In the Champions League, there have been 41 past meetings with 14 wins apiece and 13 draws. Pirates won away in Cairo in the group phase of the Champions League in January but were held to 0-0 draw at home by Al Ahly.

In the Confederation Cup there have been a total of 15 meetings with six Egyptian wins, four draws and five successes for South African clubs. The last was Stellenbosch upsetting Zamalek 1-0 away in Cairo earlier this month in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie to advance to the last four.

Clubs from the two countries also met in the now defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup plus last year Sundowns edged Al Ahly in the African Football League, the new elite competition which survived only a single year.

In all 10 different clubs from Mzansi have taken on nine different clubs from the land of the Pharaohs, although interestingly while there have been seven different South Africans sides up against Egyptian opposition in the Champions League, which is the continent’s top club prize, they have only ever played against Al Ahly, Zamalek or Pyramids.

Sundowns beat Zamalek 4-1 on aggregate over two legs to win the Champions League in 2016, the last continental success the country has enjoyed, but Al Ahli have beaten Sundowns in 2001, Orlando Pirates in 2013 and Kaizer Chiefs in 2021 to take the Champions League.

Sundowns’ 5-0 thumping of Al Ahly in the quarterfinal in 2019 remains one of the great games in South African football history, as does Pirates’ 3-0 away success over Ahly in El Gouna in 2013, which was also in the group phase, although the Cairo giants got their revenge in the final.

The first ever meeting between Egyptian and South African opposition came in 1993, the first year that South African clubs were allowed to participate after winning back their membership of the Confederation of African Football.

Zamalek eliminated Chiefs on the away goals rule in the third round of the old-style Champions Cup after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

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