Essam El Hadary facts for kids
El Hadary with Egypt at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 January 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kafr El Battikh, Damietta, Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Damietta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Damietta | 58 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2008 | Al Ahly | 412 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Sion | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Ismaily | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Zamalek | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Al Merreikh | 92 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | → Al-Ittihad Alexandria (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Wadi Degla | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Ismaily | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Wadi Degla | 57 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Al-Taawoun | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Ismaily | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Nogoom | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 771 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2018 | Egypt | 159 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Egypt (goalkeeper coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Egypt U23 (goalkeeper coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Syria (goalkeeper coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary is a famous Egyptian goalkeeper who played professional football for many years. He was born on January 15, 1973. People often called him the "High Dam" because of his strong goalkeeping skills.
El Hadary spent most of his club career playing for Al Ahly, a big team in Egypt. With them, he won many important titles, including seven Egyptian Premier Leagues and four CAF Champions Leagues.
He also played for the Egyptian national team 159 times. He helped his country win the Africa Cup of Nations four times! In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he made history. At 45 years and 161 days old, he became the oldest player ever to play in a World Cup match. After retiring as a player, he became a goalkeeping coach.
Contents
Essam El Hadary's Club Journey
Essam El Hadary was born in a place called Kafr El Battikh in Egypt. His father worked as a craftsman making furniture. Essam loved playing football, but he did it secretly so his parents wouldn't find out. He would even wash his muddy clothes in a river after playing!
Starting His Football Career
A local team noticed his talent, and at 17, he joined Damietta, a club in the Second Division. He had never worn goalkeeping gloves before, but he quickly learned. He made his first team debut for Damietta in 1993 when he was 20.
Success with Al Ahly
After two seasons, he joined Al Ahly, one of Egypt's biggest clubs. He stayed there for 12 years and had amazing success. He won eight Egyptian Premier League titles, four Egypt Cups, and four CAF Champions League titles. These wins made him a legend in Egyptian football.
Playing in Switzerland and Back Home
In 2008, El Hadary moved to a Swiss club called FC Sion. There were some disagreements with his old club, Al Ahly, about his contract. FIFA, the world football body, eventually allowed the move. After a short time in Switzerland, he returned to Egypt. He played for several other Egyptian clubs, including Ismaily and Zamalek.
Later Club Years
He also played for Al-Merreikh in Sudan. Later, he returned to Egypt and played for Wadi Degla and Ismaily again. In 2017, he made history by becoming the first foreign goalkeeper to play in Saudi Arabia when he joined Al-Taawoun. He returned to Ismaily for a third time in 2018.
Essam El Hadary officially announced his retirement from playing football in November 2020. He wanted to start a new career as a coach.
Essam El Hadary's International Career
El Hadary played for the Egyptian national team an incredible 159 times. His first game was in 1996, and he played until 2018.
Winning the Africa Cup of Nations
He was a key player in Egypt's success in the Africa Cup of Nations. He helped his country win this important tournament four times: in 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2010. He was even named the best goalkeeper of the tournament three times!
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Making World Cup History
In June 2018, at 45 years old, El Hadary was chosen for Egypt's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. This was a huge moment! On June 25, he started in Egypt's final group match against Saudi Arabia. This made him the oldest player ever to play in a World Cup match, breaking the previous record. During that game, he even saved a penalty kick!
He announced his retirement from international football in August 2018. In November 2019, the FIFA World Football Museum displayed his gloves from that World Cup match. They were shown because he was the oldest player and the first African goalkeeper to save a penalty in the tournament.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring as a player, Essam El Hadary started his coaching career. In September 2021, he became the goalkeeping coach for the Egypt national team. He held this role until March 2022.
Later, in August 2022, he joined the coaching staff for the Egypt U23 team. In February 2023, he moved to become part of the coaching team for the Syria national team.
Career Statistics
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International Appearances
Here's a look at how many games Essam El Hadary played for the Egyptian national team each year:
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 1996 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 159 | 0 | |
Awards and Trophies
Essam El Hadary won many awards and trophies during his amazing career:
Al Ahly
- Egyptian Premier League: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07
- Egypt Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07
- Egyptian Super Cup: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
- CAF Champions League: 2001, 2005, 2006
- CAF Super Cup: 2002, 2006, 2007
Sion
- Swiss Cup: 2008–09
Al Merreikh
- Sudan Premier League: 2011, 2013
- Sudan Cup: 2012, 2013
Egypt National Team
- Africa Cup of Nations: 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Pan Arab Games: 2007
Egypt Military Team
- World Military Cup: 2001
Egypt U23 Team
- All-Africa Games: 1995
- Individual Awards
- CAF Champions League Best Goalkeeper: 2001, 2005, 2006
- Africa Cup of Nations Best Goalkeeper: 2006, 2008, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Essam El-Hadary para niños
