Adel and Mayele star as Pyramids seize commanding first-leg lead over FAR Rabat

Pyramids FC put one foot in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with a commanding 4-1 victory over FAR Rabat in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday night at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo.

The Egyptian side stormed into a 3-0 lead inside the opening 40 minutes, with Congolese striker Fiston Mayele and winger Ibrahim Adel in inspired form.

Mayele opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, finishing off Mostafa Fathi’s assist, before doubling the lead in the 12th with a close-range finish after a cutback from Adel.

Adel got on the scoresheet himself in the 38th minute, calmly slotting home from the left side of the box after being released by Ramadan Sobhi.

The Moroccan visitors responded just before the break through Abdelfattah Hadraf, who finished from the centre of the box following Youssef El Fahli’s pass.

But any hopes of a comeback were dashed midway through the second half when Adel added his second and Pyramids’ fourth, poking the ball past the keeper after being teed up by Blati Touré in the 67th minute.

Despite late pressure and several changes from FAR Rabat, the hosts saw out the match comfortably and even hit the bar in stoppage time through Fathi.

The dominant win gives Pyramids FC a three-goal cushion ahead of the second leg in Morocco, leaving FAR Rabat with a mountain to climb if they are to overturn the deficit and reach the last four.