Essam El-Hadary

Essam El-Hadary
Personal information
Full name Essam Kamal Tawfiq El-Hadary
Date of birth (1973-01-15) 15 January 1973
Place of birth Damietta, Egypt
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Al-Taawoun
Number 1
Youth career
1991–1993 Damietta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1996 Damietta 58 (0)
1996–2008 Al Ahly 412 (1)
2008–2009 FC Sion 32 (0)
2009–2010 Ismaily 14 (0)
2010–2011 Zamalek 4 (0)
2011–2013 Al Merreikh 92 (0)
2012 → Al Ittihad (loan) 1 (0)
2013–2014 Wadi Degla 14 (0)
2014–2015 Ismaily 38 (0)
2015–2017 Wadi Degla 45 (0)
2017– Al-Taawoun 1 (0)
National team‡
1996– Egypt 153 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 June 2011.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 february 2017

Essam El-Hadary (Arabic: عصام الدين كمال توفيق الحضري‎‎; born 15 January 1973) is an Egyptian goalkeeper, playing and captain for Al-Taawoun in Saudi Professional League and Egypt national football team.

He is regarded as one of the best African goalkeepers of all time. In April 2012, Didier Drogba told Chelsea FC Magazine that he is the "best opponent" he has ever played against.[1]

Club career

Swiss club FC Sion announced that they had signed El-Hadary on a four-year contract in February 2008, despite claims to the contrary from his club Al-Ahly.[2][3] El-Hadary was fined and suspended by Al-Ahly,[4] before world governing body FIFA stepped in to give permission for Sion to complete the deal.[5][6]

On 20 July 2009, it was announced that the Egyptian national team goalkeeper had joined Egyptian Premier League side Ismaily.[7]

On 1 July 2010, El Hadary signed for Zamalek SC, but he was later suspended for 4 months by FIFA for his earlier contract with FC Sion.[8]

In December 2010, he moved to Sudanese club Al-Merreikh.[9]

During the summer of 2011, Hadary received multiple offers from European clubs which made him express his wish to leave Merreikh. In August, he went to try out for Hull City.[10] Al-Merreikh however did not let him go, having him signed for three years.[11] His representative Bryan Yeubrey has spoken of interest from other English clubs in El-Hadary.[12]

In June 2017, El-Hadary signed for Al-Taawoun to become the first foreign goalkeeper to play in Saudi Arabia.[13]

International career

El-Hadary has represented Egypt 144 times, winning the African Cup of Nations four times with his country. He was chosen as the best goalkeeper in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, held in homeland Egypt and in the 2008 African Cup of Nations, held in Ghana and he was the best goalkeeper for the 2010 African Cup of Nations, held in Angola.[14]

In January 2013 his agent tweeted that El-Hadary had retired from international football after being benched for a run of games, being the 23rd most capped international player in history and also the player with most African Cup of Nations titles. He returned to the national team in a match against Bosnia Herzegovina on 5 March 2014, winning 2–0.

On 4 June 2016, El-Hadary played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against Tanzania which secured Egypt's qualification for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. On 17 January 2017, two days after his 44th birthday, he became the oldest player to ever appear in an Africa Cup of Nations match after replacing Ahmed El-Shenawy in Egypt's first match of the tournament.[15] On 1 February 2017, El-Hadary saved two penalties as Egypt defeated Burkina Faso 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Final.[16]

Career statistics

International

Statistics accurate as of match played 06 April 2017.[17]
Egypt national team
YearAppsGoals
199620
199790
199840
199960
200030
200160
2002140
200330
200460
200550
2006110
200790
2008180
2009160
2010110
201120
2012130
201310
201440
201500
201640
201760
Total1530

Honours

Al-Ahly
Sion
Al-Merreikh
International

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Drogba: "El- Hadary best opponent"". Chelsea Official Twitter Page. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "Ahly fume over El-Hadary move". BBC Sport. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Sion unveil Egypt's El-Hadary". BBC Sport. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Battle for El Hadary continues". BBC Sport. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  5. ↑ "El Hadary free to play for Sion". BBC Sport. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  6. ↑ "Fifa takes El-Hadary decision". BBC Sport. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Ismaily conclude El-Hadary deal
  8. ↑ "FIFA statement on Swiss Federal Court ruling". FIFA. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "El-Hadary joins Sudanese side Al-Merreikh". english.ahram.org.eg. 19 December 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Egypt goalkeeper El-Hadary joins Hull City on trial". english.ahram.org.eg. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "Egypt's Essam El Hadary remains with Sudanese club El Merreikh". goal.com. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "El Hadary edges closer to Premier League as Newcastle and Wigan watch veteran keeper's amazing display". Daily Mail. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Egypt's Essam El Hadary moves to Saudi Arabia". BBC. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "El Hadary edges closer to Premier League as Newcastle and Wigan watch veteran keeper's amazing display". MailOnline. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  15. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38565653
  16. ↑ "Burkina Faso 1–1 Egypt (AET – Egypt win 4–3 on penalties): 44-year-old keeper Essam El-Hadary the hero as Pharaohs reach AFCON final". Daily Mail. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "Essam El-Hadary – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
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