African Champions League: Zamalek and Pyramids secure first-leg wins

Egyptian clubs Zamalek and Pyramids FC secured 1-0 victories in their respective CAF Champions League first-leg matches. Zamalek defeated Rwanda's APR FC in Kigali with a 90th-minute goal from Nasser Mansi, despite a disallowed goal earlier in the match. Pyramids FC achieved a similar 1-0 result against South Sudan's El Merriekh Bentiu in Juba, thanks to a 30th-minute strike by Mahmoud Saber.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, Tanzania's Azam FC played to a 1-1 draw against Egypt's ZED FC at the Cairo International Stadium. Iddi Nado scored for Azam in the 58th minute to equalize after Mahmoud Shokry opened the scoring for ZED in the 45th minute.

Both Zamalek and Pyramids are positioned to advance to the group stages, with second-leg matches scheduled for October 24. Zamalek faces pressure to maintain momentum following recent domestic challenges, while Pyramids must navigate the absence of players Mahmoud Marei and Iyad Al-Asqalani due to red and yellow card suspensions.