JOHANNESBURG, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Title-holders Pyramids of Egypt made a shock exit from the CAF Champions League on Saturday after a 2-1 home loss to FAR Rabat of Morocco in a quarter-final second leg.

FAR qualified 3-2 on aggregate for the semi-finals of the premier African club competition. They will face compatriots Renaissance Berkane or Al Hilal of Sudan during April.

Later, the other Egyptian challengers, record 12-time champions Al Ahly, were also eliminated after a 3-2 defeat at home to Esperance of Tunisia.

Esperance advanced 4-2 overall and take on Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa or Stade Malien of Mali for a place in the final, where a record $6 million first prize will be on the line.

Reda Slim put FAR ahead on nine minutes and captain Mohamed Hrimat added a second goal in the 54th minute. Mahmoud Mayele pulled one goal back for Pyramids just past the hour.

Pyramids believed they should have been awarded a penalty when trailing 1-0 in the first half as a cross from Ahmed Atef struck the left arm of Hrimat.

After a delay, the Mauritanian referee viewed the incident on the VAR monitor and chose not to award a spot kick.

FAR became the first Moroccan winners of the competition in 1985, when it was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

But they had made little impact in eight previous appearances since the name and format were changed 12 years later with groups introduced.

- Sweet victory -

Victory was particularly sweet for the Rabat outfit as they lost to Pyramids at the same stage of the Champions League last season.

After coming from behind to force a 1-1 first-leg draw with FAR in Morocco last week, Pyramids were expected to win the return match in the Egyptian capital.

Pyramids began the second leg as the only one of the eight title contenders boasting an unbeaten record. They won eight and drew three of 11 qualifying and group matches.

FAR had won once, lost once and drawn three times in away matches en route to the knockout phase under Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos.

Meanwhile, Ahly wiped out the one-goal deficit from the first leg within 10 minutes as Mahmoud Trezeguet fired a rebound past goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said after his first attempt was blocked.

Florian Danho equalised on 68 minutes with a back heel setting up the physically imposing French striker to score with a low shot from outside the box.

A late goal frenzy saw Mohamed Tougai convert a penalty for Esperance, teammate Hamza Jelassi concede an own goal, then atone by snatching an added-time winner.

Defeat leaves the future of Danish coach Jess Thorup at Ahly in doubt with the Egyptian media reporting that he is likely to be sacked.

On Sunday, Hilal host Berkane after a 1-1 first-leg draw. The match will be staged in Rwanda due to the civil war in Sudan. Sundowns take on Malien in Bamako having built a 3-0 advantage.