Mido (footballer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mido

Personal information
Full name	Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdel Hamid Wasfi
Date of birth	(1983-02-23) 23 February 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Cairo, Egypt
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1990–1999	Zamalek
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2000	Zamalek	4	(3)
2000–2001	Gent	23	(11)
2001–2003	Ajax	40	(21)
2003	→ Celta Vigo (loan)	8	(4)
2003–2004	Marseille	22	(7)
2004–2006	Roma	8	(0)
2005–2006	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	36	(13)
2006–2007	Tottenham Hotspur	12	(1)
2007–2010	Middlesbrough	25	(6)
2009	→ Wigan Athletic (loan)	12	(2)
2009–2010	→ Zamalek (loan)	11	(1)
2010	→ West Ham United (loan)	9	(0)
2010–2011	Ajax	5	(2)
2011–2012	Zamalek	3	(2)
2012–2013	Barnsley	1	(0)
Total		219	(73)
International career
1999–2001	Egypt U20	13	(1)
2001–2009	Egypt	51	(19)
Managerial career
2014	Zamalek
2015	Ismaily
2016	Zamalek
2016–2017	Wadi Degla
2018–2019	Al Wehda
2019–2020	Misr Lel Makkasa
2022–2023	Ismaily
Medal record Men's football Representing  Egypt Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2006 African Youth Championship Third 2001
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdel Hamid Wasfi (Arabic: أحمد حسام حسين عبد الحميد وصفي; born 23 February 1983), known as Mido (Arabic: ميدو), is an Egyptian football manager and former player. He played as a striker.

Mido began his football journey with Zamalek in Egypt in 1999. He then moved to Gent in Belgium in 2000, where he won the Belgian Ebony Shoe. This success led him to join Ajax in the Netherlands in 2001. After a loan spell at Celta Vigo in 2003, he played for Marseille in France and Roma in Italy.

In 2005, Mido joined English club Tottenham Hotspur on loan, making the move permanent in 2006. He later played for Middlesbrough, and had loan spells at Wigan Athletic, Zamalek, West Ham United, and Ajax again. He returned to Zamalek in 2011, then joined Barnsley in 2012. Mido also represented the Egyptian national team 51 times, scoring 19 goals. He retired from playing football in June 2013.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Zamalek

Mido started his professional career with Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek in 1999. He played his first league game on 22 May 2000. The next week, he scored his first two goals for the club. Mido also made his debut in African competitions. Zamalek reached the final of the 2000 African Cup Winners' Cup, winning the trophy. His strong performances caught the eye of Belgian club Gent.

Success in Belgium with Gent

In 2000, at just 17 years old, Mido signed with Gent. He worked hard to adapt to his new country and quickly became a key player. His manager, Patrick Remy, was very impressed with his skills. Mido made his league debut on 27 August 2000. He scored his first goal for Gent on 2 October 2000.

He became a fan favorite and was praised by the Belgian media. In 2001, Mido won the Belgian Ebony Shoe as the best African player in the Belgian First Division. He was also named the Belgian "Discovery of the Year." He finished the season with 11 goals in 21 matches. Gent finished fifth, earning a spot in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Moving to Ajax

After his success in Belgium, Mido signed a five-year contract with Dutch team Ajax in 2001. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie (Dutch League) and the KNVB Cup in the 2001–02 season. This meant he achieved a "double" with the club.

Mido sometimes had disagreements with his manager, Ronald Koeman. Despite this, he continued to show his talent. In March 2003, he was loaned to Celta Vigo in Spain.

Loan to Celta Vigo

Mido joined Celta Vigo on loan in March 2003. He scored in his very first game for Celta Vigo, helping them win 2–1. Ajax valued Mido highly, and many clubs from Italy and Spain were interested in him. Mido enjoyed his time at Celta and wanted to stay.

Playing for Marseille

In July 2003, Ajax accepted a €12 million offer from Marseille in France. Mido signed a five-year contract, becoming the most expensive Egyptian player at that time. He made his debut for Marseille on 1 August 2003. He even scored against Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League match in November.

Mido considered leaving Marseille at the end of the 2003–04 season. Several clubs from England and Spain were interested in signing him.

Time at Roma

Mido signed with Roma in Italy on the last day of the 2004 summer transfer window. He signed a five-year contract. He made his Roma debut in September 2004. He was linked with moves to other clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur.

Loan to Tottenham Hotspur

Mido training with Tottenham Hotspur in 2006

Mido joined Tottenham on an 18-month loan deal on 28 January 2005. He scored two goals in his first game for Tottenham on 5 February 2005. He scored three goals in eleven games during the 2004–05 season. Mido wanted to stay at Tottenham permanently. He finished the 2005–06 season with eleven goals in 27 games, making him Tottenham's second-highest goalscorer.

Returning to Tottenham Hotspur Permanently

Mido playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2007

Mido rejoined Tottenham permanently on 29 August 2006. He was very happy to be back. He scored a match-winning goal against West Ham on 19 October 2006. He also scored two goals in the League Cup. Mido ended the 2006–07 season with 5 goals in 23 appearances.

Moving to Middlesbrough

Tottenham agreed to sell Mido to Birmingham City in July 2007, but the deal did not go through. Middlesbrough then showed interest and signed Mido for £6 million on 16 August 2007. He scored in his first game for Middlesbrough against Fulham. He also scored in his home debut against Newcastle United. During his time at Middlesbrough, Mido faced some difficult moments with fan behavior.

He suffered an injury that kept him out for over three months. He returned to play in January 2008. Mido scored against Liverpool at Anfield. He also scored against Yeovil Town and Portsmouth.

Loan to Wigan Athletic

Mido joined Wigan Athletic on a six-month loan deal on 23 January 2009. He scored on his debut with a penalty kick against Liverpool. He finished his loan spell with 2 goals in 12 appearances.

Loan to Zamalek Again

Middlesbrough accepted an offer for Mido, and he completed a season-long loan move back to his former club Zamalek on 3 August 2009.

Loan to West Ham United

Mido playing for West Ham United in 2010

Mido joined West Ham United on a four-month loan on 1 February 2010. He was willing to play for a very small fee to prove himself. He made his debut for West Ham on 6 February. In nine appearances, he did not score any goals. West Ham did not offer him a new contract in June 2010.

Return to Ajax

Ajax signed Mido on a one-year loan contract on 1 September 2010. He scored his first goal on 11 November in a cup match. Despite scoring three goals in six games, his playing time was limited. He left Ajax in January 2011.

Final Return to Zamalek

On 21 January 2011, Mido rejoined Zamalek on a three-and-a-half-year contract. However, due to a registration error, he could not play for the rest of that season.

Short Spell at Barnsley

On 16 June 2012, Mido agreed to join English Championship side Barnsley. He signed a one-year contract on 21 June 2012. Mido made his league debut on 10 November 2012. He was released by mutual agreement on 31 January 2013.

Retirement from Playing

Mido announced his retirement from playing football in June 2013.

International Career

Mido played 13 times for the Egypt youth team between 1999 and 2001.

He earned 51 caps for the Egyptian national team and scored 19 goals. Mido scored in his first international game against the United Arab Emirates. He was part of the Egypt squad that played at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

In 2006, Mido was part of the Egypt team that won the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. During the semi-final game against Senegal, he had a disagreement with coach Hassan Shehata after being substituted. His replacement, Amr Zaki, scored immediately. Mido later apologized and returned to the team after a suspension.

Life After Playing Football

After retiring, Mido became a football analyst. He appeared on sports channels to discuss Premier League and Champions League matches. He also had his own shows. Mido stated that he wanted to become a manager and worked towards getting the necessary coaching certificates.

Managerial Career

Coaching Zamalek

Mido was appointed as Zamalek's head coach on 21 January 2014, at just 30 years old. He led his team to third place in the 2013–14 Egyptian Premier League. Mido also guided Zamalek to win the Egypt Cup, making him the youngest manager to win a trophy with a team in Egypt. He was replaced as manager on 29 July 2014.

Working with Zamalek Youth Academy

Mido later became the Director of Zamalek Youth Academy. Under his leadership, the U-16 team won an international championship.

Managing Ismaily

On 15 July 2015, Mido became the manager of Ismaily. He resigned on 20 December 2015.

Second Time at Zamalek

Mido returned as Zamalek's manager on 4 January 2016. However, after only one month, he was removed from his position following a loss to rivals Al Ahly.

Coaching Wadi Degla

On 8 November 2016, he was appointed as the manager of Wadi Degla until the end of the 2016–17 season.

Managing Al Wehda

On 17 December 2018, Mido became a technical advisor and caretaker manager at Al Wehda. He was later removed from this role in March 2019.

Coaching El Makkasa

Mido was appointed manager of El Makkasa on 9 June 2019. He was later removed in January 2020.

Another Spell at Ismaily

Mido took on the role of manager for Ismaily again in December 2022. He was in charge for nine games. His only win with them was a 3–1 victory. He left the club in February 2023.

Personal Life

Mido's father, Hossam Wasfi, was also a footballer who played for Zamalek. Mido got married in 2002 and has three sons.

At one point, Mido weighed 150 kg. He worked hard and managed to lose 37 kg in five months, showing great dedication to his health.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Egypt score listed first, score column indicates score after each Mido goal.

International goals by date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 January 2001	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	1	United Arab Emirates	2–1	2–1	Friendly
2	6 May 2001	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	8	Senegal	1–0	1–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	3 June 2001	Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt	9	Sudan	1–0	3–2	2002 African Cup of Nations qualification
4					2–0
5	21 July 2001	Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba, Algeria	13	Algeria	1–1	1–1	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	30 December 2001	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	14	Qatar	2–1	2–2	Friendly
7	6 January 2002	Ismailia Stadium, Ismailia, Egypt	16	Mali	1–0	1–2	Friendly
8	11 January 2002	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	17	Burkina Faso	1–0	2–2	Friendly
9	31 January 2002	Stade Modibo Kéïta, Bamako, Mali	20	Zambia	1–0	2–1	2002 African Cup of Nations
10	29 March 2003	Rose Hill Stadium, Port Louis, Mauritius	24	Mauritius	1–0	1–0	2004 African Cup of Nations qualification
11	8 June 2003	Port Said Stadium, Port Said, Egypt	26	Mauritius	1–0	7–0	2004 African Cup of Nations qualification
12					3–0
13	20 June 2003	Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	27	Madagascar	4–0	6–0	2004 African Cup of Nations qualification
14	10 October 2003	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	28	Senegal	1–0	1–0	Friendly
15	15 November 2003	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	29	South Africa	2–1	2–1	Friendly
16	27 March 2005	Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	35	Libya	1–1	4–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	4 September 2005	Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	38	Benin	3–1	4–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
18	16 November 2005	Arab Contractors Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	39	Tunisia	1–0	1–2	Friendly
19	20 January 2006	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	40	Libya	1–0	3–0	2006 Africa Cup of Nations

Managerial Statistics

Honours

Player

Zamalek

• African Cup Winners' Cup: 2000

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2001–02, 2010–11
• KNVB Cup: 2001–02
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2002

Egypt

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2006

Individual

• Belgian Ebony Shoe: 2001
• Belgian League Young Player of the Year: 2000–01
• EFA Young Player of the Year: 2000–01
• African Young Player of the Year: 2001–02

Manager

Zamalek

• Egypt Cup: 2014

See also

In Spanish: Mido (futbolista) para niños