Two Egyptian heavyweights took commanding positions in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Second Preliminary Round on Friday, as Zamalek and Pyramids FC both claimed 1-0 away victories in the first legs of their respective ties.

Late Mansi strike settles it in Kigali

Zamalek required a moment of late drama to edge past Rwanda's APR FC at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali. With the match seemingly drifting toward a goalless draw, substitute Nasser Mansi settled the contest in the 90th minute, collecting a pass from Isho before guiding the ball beyond the APR goalkeeper from inside the penalty area.

It was a tense affair in which both sides created chances without reward until that decisive closing intervention. Zamalek had also believed they were ahead two minutes earlier, only for the effort to be disallowed for offside.

The result gives Zamalek a slender but significant advantage heading into the second leg in Cairo on Saturday, 24 October. They earned their place in this round after dismantling Djibouti's AS Port 6-1 on aggregate. APR FC, who overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Aigles du Congo 3-1 on aggregate, must now win in Egypt to stay alive in the competition.

Pyramids win in Juba but face defensive concerns

Pyramids FC made the longer journey to Juba count, beating South Sudan's El Merriekh Bentiu through a 30th-minute goal from Mahmoud Saber. The forward struck midway through the first half, and Pyramids held firm for the remaining hour to protect the narrow advantage.

The win, however, came with complications. Defender Mahmoud Marei was sent off after picking up a second yellow card and will be unavailable for the return fixture. Iyad Al-Asqalani is also suspended, having accumulated his third booking of the campaign — his previous two cautions came during Pyramids' First Preliminary Round matches against Kenya's Gor Mahia.

The defensive absences present a selection headache for Pyramids despite their one-goal cushion. The Cairo side had been in formidable form heading into this round, having eliminated Gor Mahia 7-1 on aggregate. El Merriekh Bentiu also arrive with momentum after a 4-0 aggregate win over Somalia's Heegan FC in the opening round.

Pyramids will host El Merriekh Bentiu at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on 24 October. The winners of both ties will advance to the group stage of Africa's premier club competition, with that phase scheduled to commence at the end of November.