CAIRO – Defending champions Pyramids FC, along with fellow Egyptian giants Al-Ahly, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, and Tanzania’s Young Africans, all kicked off their CAF Champions League group-stage campaigns with winning starts.
Pyramids 3-0 Rivers Utd
Defending champions Pyramids FC delivered a statement of intent, sweeping aside Rivers United 3–0 on the back of a sensational hat-trick from Ahmed Atef El Sayed.
After a tightly fought first half that ended goalless, Pyramids emerged from the interval with heightened intensity. Their breakthrough came in the 52nd minute when Atef pounced from close range to put the champions ahead.
The in-form striker doubled the lead just five minutes later, rising to meet a pinpoint through ball from Karim Hafez and powering a header into the top-right corner.
Pyramids maintained control, and Atef completed his memorable treble in the 72nd minute, steering a composed right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner following a well-weighted pass from Mohamed Reda.
The reigning African champions dictated the tempo until the final whistle, securing a commanding 3–0 win that underlines their credentials for back-to-back continental crowns.
Al-Ahly 4-1 Kabylie
Al-Ahly also made a flying start to the group stage, cruising to a comprehensive 4–1 victory over JS Kabylie in Cairo.
The hosts seized control with two quick strikes before the break. Trezeguet broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, slotting home from a Zizo delivery, and Mohamed Sherif doubled the advantage three minutes later after sharp buildup play from Achraf Bencharki.
Kabylie briefly threatened a comeback early in the second half when El Shenawy inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, but Al-Ahly soon restored authority.
Trezeguet added his second in the 84th minute, and deep into stoppage time Mohamed Hadid conceded an own goal, sealing a deserved and emphatic victory for the Egyptian giants.
In Tunis, Esperance endured a frustrating night as they were held to a 0–0 stalemate by a disciplined Stade Malien side, Cafonline.com reported.
Although the hosts dominated possession and mounted sustained pressure after the break, they struggled to unlock the visitors’ compact defensive shape. Stade Malien remained organised, made timely tactical adjustments, and survived several late surges, while yellow cards to Jelassi and Bode reflected Esperance’s growing irritation.
The results leave Al-Ahly off to an impressive start, while Esperance faces early scrutiny in what promises to be a tightly contested group.
Sundowns 3-1 Lupopo
Sundowns, semi-finalists last season and widely seen as Group C favourites, recovered from a brief scare to defeat DR Congo’s St Eloi Lupopo 3-1 in Pretoria.
Nuno Santos was the hero for the home side as he scored a brace to seal the comfortable victory in the tricky tie.
The South African side struck early through Santos, who finished off a clever move from Miguel Reisinho after just five minutes.
Lupopo weathered the early storm and were rewarded shortly before half-time when Wanet Kashala equalised, capitalising on a loose defensive moment to silence the home crowd.
But the second half belonged entirely to Sundowns.
Marcelo Allende restored the lead with a composed finish on 61 minutes, again combining with the influential Santos.
Substitute Arthur Sales then made an immediate impact, providing the assist for Santos to claim his brace in the 77th minute and seal a deserved victory.
Young 1-0 FAR
In Dar es Salaam, Young Africans edged Moroccan giants FAR Rabat 1-0 in a tight Group B encounter played at a neutral venue, with the Tanzanian champions relying on discipline and efficiency.
After a cagey first half, Yanga found the breakthrough in the 58th minute when Prince Dube reacted quickest inside the box to steer home the winner.
The match intensified as FAR pushed back, with substitute Khabba and Tagnaouti picking up bookings amid a late surge.
Pedro Gonçalves’ men held firm, buoyed by standout performances from Mpia and Kouma, securing a vital opening win in a group regarded as one of the most competitive.
Both results underline Sundowns’ and Yanga’s intention to challenge strongly in this year’s campaign.
Al-Hilal 2-1 MC Alger
Al-Hilal made a winning start to the group stage, defeating MC Alger 2-1 at Group C at the Kigali Amahoro Stadium in Rwanda.
Abdelrazek Omar struck in first-half added time (45+2) and Mohamed Abdelrahman — “Al Gharbal” — restored the lead with a crisp finish on 75 minutes after MC Alger had levelled through a deflected own goal off Mustafa Kershom eight minutes into the second half.
The Sudanese champions were made to work for the points after midfielder Salah Adel was dismissed for a second yellow card on 87 minutes, but Florent Ibengé’s side held firm through a tense finale to bank the first three points of their campaign.
Al-Hilal struck at key moments to claim a valuable opening-day win. Omar broke the deadlock just before the interval, timing his run to meet a precise pass and slotting beyond the goalkeeper for 1-0.
Josef Zinnbauer’s MC Alger responded immediately after the restart, pushing higher and forcing the equaliser on 53 minutes when a driven ball ricocheted off Kershom and into the Hilal net.
With the game finely poised, Hilal reasserted control. A flowing move down the right created space for Abdelrahman, who drove home from the edge of the area on 75 minutes to make it 2-1.
The Sudanese side finished with 10 players after Adel’s late dismissal, but disciplined defending and assured goalkeeping saw them ride out five added minutes to secure a statement win away from home.
