Rabat bow out despite Pyramids win

AS FAR Rabat emerged as 2-0 winners over Pyramids in the CAF Champions League quarterfinal second-leg match played at the Honneur Stadium on Tuesday night.

However, it was Pyramids who progressed to the semifinals of Africa's premier club football tournament for the first time after the Egyptian side won the entertaining tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Rabat, who won the 1985 CAF Champions League, bowed out of the continental tournament and they will now focus on the Moroccan Botola Pro League and Throne Cup.

The Militarians got off to the perfect start as they opened the scoring as early as the eighth minute. Khalid Ait Ouarkhane’s cross found Youssef El Fahli, who fired home to hand Rabat a 1-0 lead.

Pyramids then searched for the equalising goal and they thought they had levelled matters when Fiston Mayele netted on the stroke of halftime. However, the goal was disallowed for offside and the score was 1-0 to Rabat at halftime.

With his side trailing 4-2 on aggregate after the restart, coach Alexandre Santos decided to introduce the attack-minded duo of Ahmed Hammoudan and Joel Beya in the 71st minute.

The duo proved to be inspired substitutes as Hammoudan set up Beya, who scored in the 82nd minute, but Pyramids stood firm at the back in the remaining minutes, and the game ended in a 2-0 win in favour of Rabat.

Rabat (1) 2 (El Fahli 8', Beya 82')

Pyramids 0

Pyramids won 4-3 on aggregate

FAR RABAT: Hamza Hamiani - Anas Bach, Hatim Essaouabi, Henoc Inonga (Nakach 32), Corte Carneiro (Mendy 63') - Zinedine Derrag, Khalid Aït Ouarkhane, Mohamed Rabie Hrimat - Abdelfettah Hadraf (Hammoudan 71'), Amine Zouhzouh, Youssef El Fahli (Beya 71')

PYRAMIDS FC: Ahmed El-Shennawy - Mohamed Chibi, Mahmoud Marei, Ali Gabr, Mohamed Hamdy (Obama 76') – Ahmed Tawfik (Samy 90'), Mohannad Lashin, Walid El Karti, Karim Hafez (Alef 67') - Mostafa Fathy, Fiston Mayele (M. Hamdy 90')