Rulani Mokwena extended his winning streak at Pyramids FC to 10 matches as the Egyptian giants joined Zamalek in securing first-leg victories in the CAF Champions League qualifiers on Friday.
Pyramids edged Sudanese outfit Al Merreikh 1-0 in the second preliminary round to maintain their perfect record under Mokwena.
Mahmoud Saber scored the only goal of the match in the first half, adding to his earlier strike against Kenyan side Gor Mahia in the opening round.
The Egyptian champions held firm to protect their slender advantage and will now turn their attention to Tuesday’s league clash against El Gaish before hosting Al Merreikh in the return leg.
The Soccer Show – Pressure builds at United, Liverpool look to bounce back
Meanwhile, Zamalek left it late to claim a 1-0 away victory over Rwanda’s APR FC in Kigali.
The hosts threatened throughout the encounter, with goalkeeper El Mahdy Soliman making two crucial first-half saves before APR had a goal ruled out for offside shortly after the restart.
APR then squandered a golden opportunity when an attacker missed an open goal in the closing stages. Substitute Nasser Mansi punished the hosts with an 89th-minute winner to give Zamalek the upper hand ahead of the return leg in Cairo.
Photo: X/@pyramidsfc
