Mamelodi Sundowns visit Cairo for Sunday June 1's second leg of their CAF Champions League final against Pyramids FC in a less comfortable position than they'd assumed, after giving up a stoppage time equaliser in leg one.
The Brazillians thought they would be in front for leg two just minutes from the full-time whistle in Pretoria last Saturday, but Walid El Karti's stoppage time equaliser flipped the script to make it 1-1.
Miguel Cardoso's men now visit 30 June Stadium needing to score at least once, as the CAF Champions League uses away goals as a tiebreaker and Pyramids managed to snatch one.
El Karti's equaliser was a taste of Sundowns' own medicine, as they reached the final with a late second leg equaliser themselves, against Al Ahly to draw 1-1 away in Cairo after a 0-0 draw in Pretoria.
Sundowns last lifted the title in 2016, clinching the title in Egypt with a 1-0 loss to Zamalek which saw the Brazilians see out a 3-1 aggregate win.
Pyramids have never won the title and a first Champions League crown would go a long way towards justifying the massive investment into the club since it was moved to Cairo in 2018, changing its name from Al Assiouty Sport.
Former owner Turki Al-Sheikh was the initial driving force behind this, but the club was bought by Emirati businessman Salem Al Shamsi the following year.
Al Shamsi has been quoted in Egyptian media as telling Watani that Pyramids have surpassed Zamalek as Egypt's second-biggest club, trailing only Al Ahly.
This is an audacious claim to make regardless of the result on Sunday, given the White Knights' proud history. However, the least Pyramids can do to justify his claim and silence their critics at least for now is to write their names into African football's history books.
Key details:
Date: Sunday, June 1 at 7:00 PM CAT (5:00 PM GMT, 1:00 PM ET)
Venue: 30 June Stadium, Cairo
How to watch: The match is available on SuperSport
Team news:
Abdelrahman Magdy and Ramadan Sobhi were doubtful for the first leg but both were on the bench for Pyramids, with Sobhi coming on.
Themba Zwane was an unused substitute for Sundowns after battling a long-term achilles injury for much of the season. Another long-term injury absentee - Rivaldo Coetzee - as expected, did not make the matchday squad as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.
Expected lineups:
Pyramids
LB Mohamed Hamdi | CB Mahmoud Marei | CB Ahmed Samy | RB Mohamed Chibi
CM Abdelrahman Magdy | CM Blati Touré
AM Ibrahim Adel | AM Walid El Karti | AM Ahmed Atef
Mamelodi Sundowns
LB Aubrey Modiba | CB Mosa Lebusa | CB Grant Kekana | RB Khuliso Mudau
CM Marcelo Allende | CM Teboho Mokoena
AM Tashreeq Matthews | AM Arthur Sales | AM Lucas Ribeiro Costa
Stats:
Sundowns have played 27 matches against Egyptian opposition, with 10 wins, 10 draws and seven losses.
Sundowns are unbeaten in their last four away games in Egypt - all of which were against Al Ahly - with one win and three draws.
Ibrahim Adel and Fiston Mayele are the joint-top scorers in this season's CAF Champions League with five goals each, level with Al Ahly's Emam Ashour.