Staff Reporter.
Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a 0-0 draw by a defensively resolute Pyramids FC in their CAF Champions League clash at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday afternoon.
Sundowns remain on top of Group A but it’s wide open with all four sides on four points after their draw to the Egyptian Premier League leaders.
The South African outfit, recent winners of the inaugural African Football League, were expected to dominate the mini-league, from which the top two finishers advance to the quarterfinals.
“I was unhappy with our first-half performance, but we were much more aggressive after halftime,” said Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena following a scrappy match in wet conditions.
Pyramids’ Portuguese coach Jaime Pacheco hailed his defence, saying “they did exactly what we told them to thwart the South Africans”.
The Cairo club lacked star Congolese forward Fiston Mayele, whose visa application was rejected by the South Africa authorities, who declined to comment.
Sundowns host Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday before their trip to Cairo to face Pyramids for their fourth fixture of the riveting group stage campaign.