Pyramids FC comfortably booked their place in the CAF Champions League group stage after defeating Ethiopian Insurance 2-0 in the second leg of their Round of 32 tie at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo.
Having already won 1-0 in Addis Ababa, the Egyptian giants entered the return leg with a slim advantage but wasted no time extending it. In just the 11th minute, Mostafa Ziko opened the scoring with a composed finish after connecting well with a through ball from Walid El-Karti. The early goal settled any nerves and gave Pyramids complete control of proceedings.
Ethiopian Insurance, needing at least two goals to stay alive, struggled to penetrate Pyramids’ well-organized backline led by Ali Gabr and Ahmed Sami. The visitors’ only real threat came from long-range efforts by Ramkel Lok, but goalkeeper Ahmed El-Shenawy remained untroubled.
Pyramids dominated possession and tempo throughout the match, displaying fluid passing and pressing high up the pitch. Despite creating several chances, they had to wait until stoppage time to double their lead — when a low cross from Ewerton forced defender Bereket Kekaleb into an unfortunate own goal.
The result confirmed a 3-1 aggregate victory, propelling Pyramids FC into the group stage for the second consecutive season. It also marks a strong start for new coach Jamie Pacheco, whose tactical setup appears to be taking shape.
Pyramids FC 2-0 Ethiopian Insurance (Aggregate: 3-1)
Scorers:
Mostafa Ziko (11’)
Bereket Kekaleb (OG, 90+1’)
Yellow Card:
Allen Kaiwa (Ethiopian Insurance)
