Pyramids FC coach Krunoslav Jurčić has described their situation ahead of the CAF Champions League second-leg final in Cairo as a “disaster.”
The Egyptian side managed to secure a late equaliser to draw level in the first leg played at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.
Immediately after the game, the Cairo-based club flew back to their base. Sundowns are expected to leave for the Egyptian capital early in the week ahead of Sunday’s finale. The two sides will meet in the decider on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the June 30 Stadium. Jurčić described their situation as not ideal ahead of what he called “the most important match of his career.”
The Croatian coach will guide his team against Ceramica Cleopatra on Wednesday, just three days before the final. In contrast, their opponents, Sundowns, have finished their league program. Masandawana were recently crowned Betway Premiership champions for the eighth successive time. Meanwhile, Pyramids are currently second after two losses in the last two domestic encounters.
WHAT IS THE DISASTER KRUNOSLAV JURĆIĆ IS REFERRING TO?
“We are one club, we don’t have any support [from Egyptian football authorities]. Zero support. We’re alone. This is a disaster… I don’t want to say some bad words,” he told journalists after the 1-1 draw at Loftus Stadium.
“This is not normal that we are playing for three days. We’re going for the trip now immediately. We’re coming and we only have two days for preparation against Ceramica.
“This is not correct that we’re playing a match against Ceramica on the 28th, and on the 1st of June, we’re playing against Sundowns in the second-leg.”
Nonetheless, he insists he will have to field his strongest side as they want to win the game. They trail dethroned African champions Al Ahly by two points, who face Pharco FC on Wednesday. A win will secure Al Ahly the Egyptian league title.
However, there is still a saga surrounding the abandoned March 11 Cairo derby between Al Ahly and Zamalek. Pyramids FC had submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS], challenging a recent decision by the Egyptian Football Association [EFA] Appeals Committee concerning disciplinary actions from that contentious match.
The derby was abandoned after Al Ahly failed to show up, protesting the assignment of an Egyptian referee instead of a foreign official, as they had requested. Egyptian referee Mohamed Bassyouni and the Zamalek squad arrived at the Cairo International Stadium on time. The match was officially called off 15 minutes after the scheduled kickoff due to Al Ahly’s absence. Pyramids FC had hoped that a six-point deduction for Al Ahly, which would have seen Al Ahly lose the domestic title.
KRUNOSLAV JURĆIĆ VOWS TO PLAY STRONG PYRAMIDS SIDE
“This is a very important match, I have to go with the first team. We have to win, but maybe we’re stronger in this situation when we’re playing against all,” he added.
The former Lokomotiva coach said he was not yet thinking about the weekend encounter.
“Now I’m thinking only about Ceramica. I prepare this way only for my players because if we’re thinking this way only for the future, it’s not a good job. We have to go step by step, and now our focus is on Ceramica. After Ceramica, we will start to think about the second match.”
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