South Africa’s Marumo Gallants continued their spell of success in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday with a 1-1 quarterfinal first leg draw at Egyptian club Pyramids FC in Cairo. Ranga Chivaviro scored yet again for the Limpopo province side with the opening goal early in the second half before Ramadan Sobhi converted a late penalty kick to spare Pyramids from defeat. Gallants now have an away goal and need a victory or scoreless draw to reach the semifinals when the teams meet for the second leg in Johannesburg next Sunday.
Pyramids controlled possession throughout the match but Gallants posed a formidable threat on the counter attack and put up a determined defensive performance. After Chivaviro missed a good opportunity inside ten minutes, it was all Pyramids for the remainder of the first half but the Cairo club could not find a way past Gallants goalkeeper Washington Arubi. Mostafa Fathi came closest to breaking the deadlock before halftime when he collected a Mohamed Hamdi cross in the 38th minute and beat Arubi with his shot but the ball came crashing back off the post.
The visitors caught Pyramids by surprise following the break and controlled the opening stretch, finding the opening goal in the 56th minute when Lucky Mohomi’s corner kick found a poorly marked Chivaviro for a bouncing header past Pyramids keeper Ahmed El Shenawy. It was Chivaviro’s fifth goal in his last four matches and the 30-year-old’s sixth Confederation Cup goal this season.
Despite dominating the second half a loss of focus in second half stoppage time spared the blushes of Pyramids and allowed them to equalize. Hamdi found space on the left wing and put in a cross that Gallants substitute Sibusiso Khumalo blocked with his outstretched arms, giving referee Ibrahim Traoré no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Sobhi dispatched his spot kick past Arubi to leave the teams even by the full time whistle.
Highlights from the first leg are below.
