Rodolfo Arruabarrena's job as Pyramids FC coach is reportedly on the line as the team face Zambia's Nkana away from home in a crucial African Confederation Cup clash on Wednesday. Back-to-back defeats against Morocco's Raja and a poor domestic run left Arruabarrena facing the axe, with local reports suggesting that the big-spending club's Emirati owners are unhappy at the direction the team is heading to. The vast amounts of money Pyramids spent in the close season, including bringing in ex-Ahly winger Ramadan Sobhi as their marquee signing, failed to pay off as the team endure their worst season since they were bought by Saudi investor Turki Al-Sheikh in 2018. Pyramids, who finished third in the Egyptian Premier League the past two seasons and reached the Egypt Cup final in 2019 and the Confederation Cup final last year, currently lie fifth in the premier domestic competition with 27 points, six behind leaders Zamalek, who have two games in hand. Although they made a fine start to their Confederation Cup group-stage campaign by winning their opening two matches, two losses against runaway leaders Raja helped Nkana pull level with them on six points with two matches remaining. With Tanzania's Namungo having failed to bag any point, Pyramids and Nkana will battle it out for the second Group D ticket to the knockout phase as Raja had already secured their qualification. A win for Pyramids over Nkana is likely to give Arruabarrena a much-needed respite. "This is a very important match and we have to return home with the three points," the Argentinean coach told the pre-match news conference. "Nkana are a much improved team than the one we beat 3-0 (in the home fixture). They have an equal chance to qualify and they will play at home, so the game would be very difficult." (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
