Mamelodi Sundowns missed out on a chance to win their second CAF Champions League crown when they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Egyptian side Pyramids in the final on Sunday.
Sundowns were second best in the first half and the better part of the second until they staged a late onslaught but the damage was done early.
Fiston Mayele, whose two goals knocked Orlando Pirates out of the semi-final, delivered when it mattered once again as he scored the opening goal for Pyramids after 23 minutes to give the Egyptian side a 2-1 lead on aggregate after the first leg ended 1-1 in Pretoria last week.
Sundowns pull one back but…
The two sides went to the break with Pyramids leading 1-0 but things got from bad to worse after the interval for Sundowns.
In the 56th minute, Ahmed Samy headed in from a freekick to make it 2-0 and 3-1 on aggregate for Pyramids with the diving header leading to a lengthy VAR check but the goal stood.
From here, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made a host of attacking changes in a bid to change the tide and 15 minutes from time, they pulled one back through Iqraam Rayners.
However, there were tense moments when VAR took long to check the goal after Peter Shalulile had been in an offside position as the ball was played in. However, the Namibian was adjudged not to have interfered and the goal stood.
PSL champions pay price for sluggish display
From here, it was one way as Sundowns laid siege at the Pyramids goal but there was no way through as the Egyptian side put everyone behind the ball to defend their lead.
That is how it ended with Sundowns’ act being too little too late as they paid the price for their sluggish display to lose 2-1 in the second leg and 3-2 on aggregate.
Pyramids became African champions for the first time, the win wiping off the tears after losing the Egyptian league in heartbreaking fashion this week, while Sundowns’ hopes for a second African title, since their 2016 victory, went up in smoke.
It was also more heartbreak for coach Cardoso who lost last season's final to another Egyotian side in Al Ahly when he was in charge of Tunisian giants Esperance.
