Pyramids Hold FAR Rabat to 1-1 Draw in CAF Champions League Quarter-Final

Egyptian club Pyramids kept their unbeaten run in the defence of their CAF Champions League title intact after coming from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Morocco’s FAR Rabat in the first leg of their quarter-final on Friday night.

The match, played at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, took place behind closed doors following crowd trouble during a previous FAR fixture. Despite the empty stands, the home side made a fast start and took the lead within the opening minutes.

FAR went ahead in the eighth minute when Ahmed Hammoudan scored his first goal of the current campaign. A well-timed pass split the Pyramids defence and sent the Moroccan winger through on goal. Hammoudan sprinted down the left flank before firing an angled shot past Egyptian goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy and into the far corner.

The early breakthrough gave the hosts momentum, though Pyramids gradually settled into the match and created several attacking moves before the break. Both sides enjoyed periods of possession in the first half, but clear scoring opportunities were limited and the Moroccan side held their one-goal advantage at half-time.

Pyramids responded strongly after the interval and eventually found an equaliser seven minutes into the second half. The goal came following a corner kick that created pressure inside the FAR penalty area.

Ahmed Atef struck a close-range effort that was parried by FAR goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti, but the rebound fell to Mahmoud Zalaka, who reacted quickly to push the ball into the net from close range. The goal was Zalaka’s second in the competition this season and brought the Egyptian champions level at 1-1.

Both teams pushed for a decisive goal in the remaining minutes, though defences held firm. Pyramids striker Mahmoud Mayele, who was the competition’s top scorer last season with nine goals, was substituted in the 83rd minute. The Democratic Republic of Congo international has yet to score in the tournament proper this season after netting three times during the qualifying rounds.

The second leg will take place in Cairo on March 21, where the tie will be decided. The winners will advance to the semi-finals in April and face either Moroccan side Renaissance Berkane or Sudan’s Al Hilal.

Pyramids are aiming to secure back-to-back titles after winning the competition last season with a victory over South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. That triumph earned the Cairo-based club a prize of four million dollars.

Earlier this week, the Confederation of African Football announced that the Champions League winner’s prize money will increase by 50 percent to six million dollars, while the runners-up will continue to receive two million dollars.

Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Sundowns made a strong start by defeating Stade Malien 3-0 in Pretoria. The Malian club became the first team from their country to reach the knockout stage since the tournament adopted its current format in 1997.

The match in Rabat kicked off late in the evening due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when games are often scheduled after sunset so players can eat and drink following the day-long fast.