The record Kenyan league outfit were making a return to the continental stage having missed out last season as Kenya Police FC represented the East African nation.
The victory will give Pyramids a huge advantage heading into the return leg slated for September 13th in Cairo. The Egyptian outfit won their maiden CAF Champions League title in 2025 after defeating South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate in the final.
Gor Mahia went behind within five minutes
In a game many thought Gor Mahia would dominate, the Kenyan side found themselves trailing with only five minutes played when Walid El Karti found the back of the net to silence the huge K'Ogalo crowd that had turned out.
Gor Mahia tried to come back into the game but Pyramids doubled their lead in the 45th minute when Mahmoud Saber took advantage of a defensive mistake to slam home.
The second half saw Pyramids play cautiously, knowing that they had already grabbed a good cushion to take to the return leg in a fortnight.
Gor Mahia went into the fixture having lost their FKF Super Cup fixture 3-1 against Tusker FC the previous Sunday.
For Pyramids, they have already kicked off the 2026/27 Egyptian Premier League season with a maximum of nine points from their opening three matches.
Pyramids, under South Africa coach Rulani Mokwena, are currently sitting at the top of the 20-team league table with nine points from three matches.
The winner of the two-legged contest will advance to the second preliminary round, where they will face either South Sudan’s El Merreikh Bentiu or Somalia’s Heegan FC.
Al Hilal register positive start
Meanwhile, Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman and Gabon’s Mangasport were among the biggest winners as the preliminary round of the Champions League continued across the continent.
Al Hilal put themselves in a strong position with a 2-0 away victory over Burundi’s Aigle Noir and will be confident of completing the job when they host the return fixture next weekend.
Gabon champions Mangasport also took a significant step towards the next round with a 3-1 home victory over Namibia’s African Stars, giving them a useful cushion to take into the second leg.
Sudan’s Al Merreikh claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Zambia’s Power Dynamos but will have work to do when they travel for the second leg.
Gaborone United also came close to a notable home victory over Tanzanian heavyweights Young Africans, but the sides eventually shared a 1-1 draw to leave the tie finely balanced ahead of the return match in Dar es Salaam.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Zambia Super League side Red Arrows made a confident start to their campaign, overcoming a tactically disciplined and resilient FC Rouge side 2-0 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
The Airmen were made to work for the victory by a well-organised Malagasy outfit that defended with composure, absorbed sustained pressure and occasionally threatened to disrupt Arrows’ rhythm.
But in the end, Red Arrows’ persistence and attacking quality proved decisive.
