Pyramids FC star asks Al Ahly and Zamalek fans to support them in the final

Pyramids FC striker Ahmed 'Qata' Atef has asked Zamalek and Al Ahly fans to support Pyramids FC when they host heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns, who arrive from South Africa with a 1-1 draw from the first leg.

The match will take place at the June 30 Stadium tomorrow, Sunday, June 1, at 7:00 GMT.

The empty seats tell a story Pyramids FC never imagined. In a cavernous Pretoria stadium, coach Krunoslav Jurčić scans the stands, his voice cracking with emotion. "We fight alone," he tells gathered journalists, the words heavy with unintended symbolism. "But perhaps this isolation makes us stronger."

It's the paradox of Egyptian football's most intriguing underdogs. As they prepare for Sunday's CAF Confederation Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns, Pyramids find themselves caught between history and hostility. Their plea for national support reveals an uncomfortable truth - in a country where football religion is divided between Al Ahly red and Zamalek white, there's little oxygen for other colors.

Jurčić's appeal cuts deep: "For seven days, we don't play for Pyramids - we play for Egypt." Yet the stands remain hauntingly vacant, populated by no more than "50 or 100 souls" according to the Croatian tactician.

Captain Atef 'Qata' Mohamed embodies this complex reality. "The time for club divisions is over," he insists, sweat glistening under the South African floodlights. Fresh off a bitter league runner-up finish to Al Ahly - with a CAS appeal still pending - the squad has channeled their disappointment into continental ambition.

Their preparation speaks of quiet confidence. While respecting Sundowns' pedigree, there's an unmistakable edge when Atef adds: "They concern us less than we concern ourselves." It's the mantra of a team that's learned to thrive in emptiness, to draw strength from abandonment.