Amr Zaki facts for kids
Amr Zaki playing for Wigan Athletic in 2009
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Amr Hassan Zaki | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 April 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mansoura, Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| El Mansoura | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | El Mansoura | 20 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | ENPPI | 64 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Lokomotiv Moscow | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Zamalek | 88 | (35) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 29 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | → Hull City (loan) | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Elazığspor | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | ENPPI | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Al-Salmiya | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Raja CA | 2 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Al Ahed | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | El Mokawloon | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 224 | (94) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2013 | Egypt | 63 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Amr Hassan Zaki (born 1 April 1983) is a former professional footballer from Egypt. He played as a striker, which means he was a goal scorer for his team.
Amr Zaki played for many different football clubs in countries like Egypt, Russia, England, Turkey, and Kuwait. He also played for the Egyptian national team 63 times and scored 30 goals for them. People sometimes called him "The Bulldozer" because of his strong playing style. Some even compared him to famous English striker Alan Shearer.
Contents
Amr Zaki's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Amr Zaki was born in Mansoura, Egypt. He began his football journey at a local club called El Mansoura. In the 2003–04 season, he moved to ENPPI.
At ENPPI, he became the top goal scorer in the Egyptian Premier League during the 2004–05 season. He also helped his team win their first trophy, the 2005 Egyptian Cup. They also finished second in the Egyptian Premier League that year.
After playing well in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, many clubs noticed Zaki. He decided to join the Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. However, he didn't play any official matches for them.
In 2006, Zaki returned to Egypt and joined El Zamalek. Fans gave him the nickname "Bulldozer" because of his powerful way of playing.
Playing for Wigan Athletic
On 22 July 2008, Amr Zaki joined Wigan Athletic in England for a one-year loan. He quickly showed his skills by scoring two goals in his first two practice games.
He scored in his first league game against West Ham United. Later, he scored two goals in a big 5–0 win against Hull City. He kept scoring, putting him at the top of the goal-scoring list in the Premier League. He even scored two goals against Liverpool. At one point, he was one of the top goal scorers in the league.
The chairman of Wigan Athletic, Dave Whelan, compared Zaki to the legendary striker Alan Shearer. He said Zaki had a special "instinct" for scoring goals. Wigan's manager, Steve Bruce, was also very impressed, calling Zaki "awesome" and praising his power and speed.
Returning to Zamalek
After his time at Wigan, Zaki went back to El Zamalek for the 2009–10 season. During this period, he faced some challenges with injuries and finding his best form.
Time with Hull City
On 17 January 2010, Zaki joined Hull City on a five-month loan. He made his debut for Hull as a substitute in a game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. After his loan ended, he returned to Zamalek.
More Time at Zamalek
Zaki returned to Zamalek for the 2010–11 season and started very well, becoming the team's top scorer early on. However, he suffered a serious injury that kept him out of the game for many months.
When he came back from injury, he helped Zamalek reach the final of the Egypt Cup by scoring two goals in the semi-final. He also scored an important goal in a CAF Champions League game.
Zaki received offers to play for clubs in other countries, but Zamalek wanted to keep him as a key player. In 2012, he hoped to play in England again and even considered joining the Egypt U-23 team for the 2012 London Olympics. However, he was not chosen for the Olympics.
He had a trial with Blackpool but the deal didn't happen. He also had discussions with Middlesbrough, but they couldn't agree on a contract.
Playing in Turkey
In July 2012, Zaki moved to the Turkish club Elazığspor. He signed a two-year deal. He made his debut for Elazığspor after missing some games due to paperwork. He played a few matches, but injuries kept him off the field often.
Near the end of 2012, Zaki decided to leave Elazığspor because he wasn't receiving his wages. He became a free agent, meaning he could join any club he wanted.
Back to ENPPI
After leaving Turkey, Zaki made a surprising move back to his former club, ENPPI, in early 2013. However, his contract was ended just 12 days later due to a disagreement.
Playing in Kuwait
On 18 June 2013, Zaki signed with the Kuwaiti club Al-Salmiya for one year. He scored in his first game for the club. He scored two goals in nine matches before his contract was ended in December 2013 due to injuries and some salary issues.
Short Time with Raja CA
In late 2013, Zaki was expected to join Moroccan champions Raja CA. However, he broke his foot and ankle ligaments in a friendly match, which needed surgery. This meant he would be out of action for several months. There was a misunderstanding with the club about his surgery, and they later agreed to end his contract. He played in three friendly matches for Raja CA, scoring one goal, but never played an official game.
Time with Al Ahed and El Mokawloon
In August 2014, Zaki signed with Al Ahed, a club in Lebanon. This was a very expensive transfer for their league. But he ended his contract a month later due to injury concerns and didn't play any games for them.
In January 2015, he signed with El Mokawloon in Egypt. This was his return to football after being away for over a year.
Retirement from Football
On 18 August 2015, Amr Zaki announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Amr Zaki's International Career
Amr Zaki was an important player for the Egyptian National Team.
In the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Zaki scored the winning goal for Egypt in the semi-final against Senegal. Egypt went on to win their fifth title in this competition.
Two years later, in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Zaki scored goals against Zambia, Angola, and Ivory Coast. Egypt won the title again, making it their sixth time. Zaki was even chosen as one of the best players in the tournament's starting team.
After Egypt didn't qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zaki was often absent from the national team due to injuries. He faced some challenges with national team call-ups, but he always said he was ready to play for his country. In October 2012, he was called up again.
After a long time without scoring for the national team, Zaki scored a goal in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Guinea in September 2013. He also scored in a friendly game and another World Cup qualifier later that year.
Career Statistics
Club Matches
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zamalek SC | 2006–07 | Egyptian Premier League | 28 | 10 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 1 | 32 | 14 | |
| 2007–08 | Egyptian Premier League | 16 | 7 | 3 | 3 | – | 3 | 1 | 22 | 11 | ||
| 2010–11 | Egyptian Premier League | 11 | 3 | 4 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | Egyptian Premier League | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | 10 | 4 | ||
| Total | 60 | 23 | 10 | 9 | – | 9 | 3 | 79 | 35 | |||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2008–09 | Premier League | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 32 | 11 | |
| Hull City (loan) | 2009–10 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |
| Elazığspor | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 103 | 33 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 125 | 46 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Egypt's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 October 2004 | June 11 Stadium, Tripoli, Libya |  Libya |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 8 January 2005 | Cairo Military Academy Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Uganda |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3. | 5 June 2005 | Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Sudan |
2–0 | 6–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 29 July 2005 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Qatar |
3–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 4 September 2005 | Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Benin |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 6. | 27 December 2005 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Uganda |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2005 LG Cup |
| 7. | 14 January 2006 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  South Africa |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 8. | 7 February 2006 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Senegal |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 9. | 7 February 2007 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo |  Sweden |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 10. | 5 January 2008 | Aswan Stadium, Aswan, Egypt |  Namibia |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 11. | 30 January 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana |  Zambia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 12. | 4 February 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana |  Angola |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 13. | 7 February 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana |  Ivory Coast |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 14. | 1 June 2008 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  DR Congo |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 15. | 6 June 2008 | El Hadj Hassan Gouled, Djibouti city, Djibouti |  Djibouti |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 16. | 29 March 2009 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Zambia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 17. | 2 October 2009 | Petro Sport Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Mauritius |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 18. | 5 November 2009 | Aswan Stadium, Aswan, Egypt |  Tanzania |
2–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 19. | 14 November 2009 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Algeria |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 20. | 10 September 2013 | El Gouna Stadium, El Gouna, Egypt |  Guinea |
4–2 | 4–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21. | 14 November 2013 | 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Zambia |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 22. | 19 November 2013 | 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Ghana |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Personal Life
Amr Zaki is a practicing Muslim. He has shared that when he was playing in England, he made sure to fast during Ramadan and continued his prayers and reading the Quran. He believed that fasting made him stronger and didn't affect his performance on the field.
His manager at Wigan, Steve Bruce, understood his fasting but was worried it might affect his play. Zaki chose to continue fasting, sometimes without telling his coach, and still played well.
Honours
ENPPI
- Egypt Cup: 2004–05
Zamalek
- Egypt Cup: 2007–08
Egypt
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2006, 2008
Individual
- 2008 CAF African Footballer of the Year Nomination
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2008
See Also
In Spanish: Amr Zaki para niños
Images for kids
-
Amr Zaki playing for Wigan Athletic in 2009
-
Amr Zaki in a friendly match with Raja CA against Vitória Guimarães in 2014
