Rwandan champions APR FC will welcome Egyptian powerhouse Pyramids FC to Kigali Pele Stadium on Sunday, September 17, in a CAF Champions League second round first leg game.
APR defeated Somalian minnows Gaadiidka FC 3-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round while Pyramids FC were exempted from the first round due the Egyptian League coefficient in Africa.
Times Sport takes a look at Cairo-based team who are one of the emerging forces in Egyptian football.
History
Pyramids Football Club is an Egyptian professional football club based in Cairo.
The club was previously known as Al Assiouty Sport and it was situated in Beni Seuf, before relocating to Cairo in 2018 after Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Al Sheikh bought it.
In 2019, Turki Al Sheikh sold the team to another billionaire in the person of United Arab Emirates business magnate Salem Al Shamsi.
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Home Ground
The 30,000 capacity June 30 Stadium situated in Cairo is the home ground of Pyramids FC and they hardly lose games at the stadium.
Record in domestic and CAF Competitions
Pyramids FC reached the final of the 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup where they lost 1-0 to RS Berkane of Morocco. This is their biggest achievement on the continental scene.
They also reached the semifinal of the same competition in the 2020/21 season and the quarter finals during the 2021/22 season.
On the domestic front, Pyramids have not finished beyond the third position in the Egyptian Premier league during the past five seasons. They finished third during the 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 seasons while they were twice league runners up during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons behind Zamalek and Al Ahly respectively.
Key Players
Ramadan Sobhi
Undoubtedly the most naturally gifted player of his generation, Sobhi, 26, needs no introduction in world football.
The talented left winger has previously played for English sides Stoke City and Huddersfield Town during their time in the Premier League.
Sobhi is a left winger but can also play an offensive midfield role as a number 10 just behind the striker where he uses his skills, vision and goal scoring ability to great effect.
Pyramids FC paid £5 million to sign him from Huddersfield Town on September 7, 2020. He has since played 101 games for the club, scoring 29 goals and providing 20 assists.
Fiston Kalala Mayele
The DR. Congo forward in July signed a three-year deal to join Pyramids FC from Tanzanian champions Young Africans for a fee in excess of $1million. He joined after netting 16 goals in 24 games during the 2022/23 season.
Mayele holds the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup golden boot after he scored 11 goals that inspired Young African to the final of the competition last season although they eventually lost it to Algerian side USM Alger.
He is now expected to augment more spark to an already dangerous Pyramids FC attack as the club chase their first continental silverware.
Mayele has pace, great footwork and above all, an eye for goal. He can operate anywhere in attack whether as a central striker, supporting striker or playing on the wings.
Coach Jaime Pacheco and his tactical formation
Pyramid FC are coached by Portuguese gaffer Jaime Morreira Pacheco operated as a midfielder in his playing days and was part of the Portuguese national team squad which featured in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Pacheco, 65, took over the club on January 5, 2023 from Greek tactician Takis Gonias who was sacked over poor performance. He eventually guided the team to 2nd place in the league during the 2022/23 season.
He had previously also handled Zamalek, Al Shabab, Boavista, Real Mallorca and a host of other clubs.
Pacheco's preferred formation is 4-2-3-1 of which the wingers join the attack and are also capable of scoring.