Pyramids FC defender Ahmed Sami has expressed deep frustration after his side narrowly missed out on the Egyptian Premier League title, claiming the championship was “stolen” from them following another tightly contested season.
The club finished second in the standings, just two points behind champions Zamalek SC, in what marked a second consecutive campaign of near misses for the ambitious side.
Despite being among the most consistent teams throughout the season, Pyramids once again fell short in the decisive moments, with Sami insisting that small margins ultimately cost them the title.
Speaking in an interview with Modern TV, the defender reflected on the criticism directed at the squad in recent years, particularly suggestions that the team has underperformed despite significant investment and expectations.
He rejected claims that the players lacked commitment or ambition, stressing that the squad has always given maximum effort.
“We were subjected to a lot of criticism and they used to say about us (employees and we play for the sake of money),” Sami said.
He added that the team’s ambition has always been to compete for major honours, pointing out that they have still managed to secure several trophies in recent seasons.
“Our biggest goal was to put Pyramids in contention for all championships, and we achieved 5 championships,” he noted.
However, Sami admitted that inconsistency in key matches proved costly once again, with dropped points ultimately deciding the title race.
“We didn’t learn the lesson and wasted easy points,” he said.
The defender was particularly emotional when assessing the outcome of the campaign, insisting that Pyramids deserved more based on their overall performances.
“The league title this season was ‘stolen’ from us, just like it happened to us last season,” he said.
He emphasised that the difference between success and failure came down to fine margins rather than a lack of quality within the squad.
Sami also addressed the perception that Pyramids approach matches against Egypt’s traditional powerhouses differently, rejecting any suggestion of selective motivation.
“Our superiority over Al Ahly does not mean that we give facing them greater importance or focus. For us, Al Ahly and Zamalek are our two biggest matches of the season,” he explained.
Instead, he pointed to tactical differences as a key factor in their results.
He suggested that matches against Al Ahly SC tend to be more open, allowing Pyramids to exploit space, while encounters with Zamalek are more defensive and difficult to break down.
“The difference in the two matches is that Al Ahly likes to play an open game… there are spaces that we exploit well,” he said.
“Zamalek’s style against us is different, and we find it difficult to play against teams that defend and play on counter-attacks.”
Pyramids’ latest campaign once again ended in disappointment, despite strong performances across the season. The narrow gap at the top of the table highlights how fine the margins were in deciding the destination of the title.
As attention now shifts towards the next season, pressure is expected to mount on the squad to convert consistent performances into silverware, with Sami’s comments reflecting the frustration of a team convinced they were close but ultimately fell short once again.
