Deprived of the suspended Mahmoud Marei and Eyad El Askalany, Pyramids FC host El Merriekh Bentiu in Cairo this Saturday with only a one-goal lead. Rulani Mokwena must rebuild his central defence.
Pyramids FC must approach this second leg with caution. Narrow 1-0 winners in the first leg, the Cairo side welcome South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu to Cairo this Saturday, 24 October, for the second leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round. A single goal separates the two teams before the decisive tie.
The danger comes above all from defence. Head coach Rulani Mokwena will have to do without two of his defensive mainstays, both suspended at once: centre-back Mahmoud Marei and Eyad El Askalany. A centre-back pairing to be reshaped in a match where the slightest mistake could cost qualification.
Marei and El Askalany, two heavy absences
The two suspensions are no coincidence. Mahmoud Marei was sent off in the 89th minute of the first leg in Juba after picking up a second yellow card, which carries an automatic suspension. The centre-back will therefore miss the return leg in Cairo.
Eyad El Askalany, for his part, received a third yellow card accumulated since the start of the continental campaign, resulting in a one-match suspension. The record shows he had already been booked in the initial preliminary round double-header against Kenya’s Gor Mahia. Two absences in the same area, at the same time: Mokwena must find solutions.
A one-goal lead, a clean sheet kept
Pyramids FC’s lead rests on a single moment. On 16 October, at the Juba stadium, midfielder Mahmoud Saber scored the only goal of the match in the 30th minute. A minimal advantage, which forces the Egyptians to stay vigilant right to the end.
The Cairo side also built that success on their defensive solidity. They kept a clean sheet in Juba, despite being a man down in stoppage time. That result will have to be repeated with a reshuffled centre-back pairing.
Securing qualification in Cairo
With only a one-goal lead, Pyramids FC must absolutely secure qualification at home. A goal for El Merriekh Bentiu would, however, be enough to level the aggregate score, and the slightest opening could weigh heavily on Mokwena’s team.
Kick-off in this decisive tie is scheduled for this Saturday evening in Cairo, under the authority of CAF match officials.