Mido (footballer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mido

Personal information
Date of birth	(1983-02-23) 23 February 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Cairo, Egypt
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	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 (loan)	5	(2)
2011–2012	Zamalek	3	(2)
2012–2013	Barnsley	1	(0)
Total		219	(73)
National team
1999–2001	Egypt U20	13	(1)
2001–2009	Egypt	51	(19)
Teams managed
2014	Zamalek
2015	Ismaily
2016	Zamalek
2016–2017	Wadi Degla
2018–2019	Al Wehda
2019–2020	El Makkasa
2022–2023	Ismaily
Honours Men's football Representing  Egypt Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2006 African Youth Championship Third 2001
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdelhamid Wasfi (Arabic: أحمد حسام حسين عبد الحميد وصفي), known to everyone as Mido (Arabic: ميدو), was born on 23 February 1983. He is an Egyptian football manager and a former player. He used to play as a striker, which means he was a forward player who scored goals.

Mido began his football journey with Zamalek in Egypt in 1999. He then moved to Gent in Belgium in 2000, where he won an award called the Belgian Ebony Shoe. This success led him to join the famous Dutch team Ajax in 2001. Later, he played for Celta Vigo in Spain on a loan. He also played for Marseille in France and Roma in Italy.

In 2005, Mido joined the English club Tottenham Hotspur on loan, and later signed with them permanently. He then played for Middlesbrough, and had loan spells at Wigan Athletic, Zamalek, West Ham United, and Ajax again. In 2011, he returned to Zamalek, and then played for Barnsley in 2012. Mido also played for the Egyptian national team 51 times, scoring 20 goals. He officially stopped playing football in June 2013.

Mido's Football Journey

Starting in Egypt

Mido began his professional career with Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek in 1999. He played his first league game on 22 May 2000. The very next week, he scored his first two goals for Zamalek. He also made his debut in an African club competition. Zamalek reached the final of the 2000 African Cup Winners' Cup and won the trophy. Mido's great performances caught the eye of a Belgian club called Gent.

Playing in Belgium

In 2000, when Mido was just 17, he signed with Gent. At first, he missed home a lot, but his father encouraged him to stay and work hard. Mido soon became a regular player for Gent. He made his league debut in August 2000 and scored his first goal in October. Fans loved him, and the Belgian media praised him.

In 2001, Mido won the Belgian Ebony Shoe award, given to the best African player in the Belgian league. He was also named the Belgian "Discovery of the Year." He finished the season with 11 goals in 21 matches. Gent finished fifth in the league, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Moving to the Netherlands

After his success in Belgium, Mido signed a five-year contract with the Dutch team Ajax in 2001. He had some ups and downs, including a concussion and a red card. He also had a few disagreements with his manager, Ronald Koeman. However, Mido later apologized for his comments and behavior.

In the 2001–02 season, Mido scored in Ajax's win over Utrecht in the KNVB Cup final. This meant he helped Ajax win both the Dutch League and the Cup that season. Despite some challenges, he showed his talent on the field.

Loan to Celta Vigo

In March 2003, Mido went on a loan to Celta Vigo in Spain. He scored in his very first game for Celta Vigo, helping them win 2–1. Ajax wanted about €5-6 million for Mido, and many clubs from Italy and Spain were interested in him. Mido enjoyed his time at Celta and wanted to stay, but Ajax had other plans.

Playing in France and Italy

Ajax accepted an offer from Marseille in France, and Mido joined them on 12 July 2003. This made him the most expensive Egyptian player at that time. He made his debut for Marseille in August 2003. He even scored against Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League match.

In March 2004, Mido thought about leaving Marseille because he was often overshadowed by another great player, Didier Drogba. Many clubs from England and Spain were interested in him.

Time at Roma

Mido eventually signed with Roma in Italy in August 2004. He signed a five-year contract. He made his debut for Roma in September 2004. He was linked with moves to other clubs like Valencia and Manchester City, but Roma wanted to keep him.

Joining Tottenham Hotspur

Mido training with Tottenham Hotspur in 2006

Mido joined Tottenham Hotspur on an 18-month loan deal on 28 January 2005. He made an amazing start, scoring two goals in his first game for Tottenham against Portsmouth. He scored three goals in 11 games during that season.

In 2006, Mido said he wanted to stay at Tottenham permanently. His manager, Martin Jol, also wanted him to stay because of his good performances. Mido finished the 2005–06 season with 11 goals in 27 games, making him Tottenham's second-highest goalscorer.

Returning to Tottenham

Mido officially rejoined Tottenham on 29 August 2006. He was very happy to be back and said he "always knew in his heart he would be coming back." He scored a winning goal against West Ham and two more goals in the League Cup. Even though he faced tough competition for a spot in the team, he saw it as a sign of the club's strength. He ended the 2006–07 season with 5 goals in 23 appearances.

Playing for Middlesbrough

Tottenham agreed to sell Mido to Birmingham City in July 2007, but the deal didn't happen. Then, Sunderland and Middlesbrough showed interest. Mido eventually signed with Middlesbrough for £6 million on 16 August 2007.

He scored in his first game for Middlesbrough against Fulham and also in his first home game against Newcastle United. During the Newcastle game, Mido experienced some unfair treatment from a small group of fans, which was investigated by the football authorities. He was out for over three months due to an injury. He also received a three-match ban after an incident in a game against Arsenal.

Loan to Wigan Athletic

In January 2009, Mido joined Wigan Athletic on a six-month loan. He scored on his debut for Wigan, equalizing 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. His debut was disappointing, as he missed a penalty.

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 said he was willing to play for a very small salary just to prove himself. He made his debut for West Ham on 6 February. In nine games for West Ham, he did not score any goals.

Return to Ajax (again)

In September 2010, Mido signed a one-year loan contract to return to Ajax. He made his second debut for the club in October and scored his first goal in November. Despite scoring three goals in six appearances, he didn't get many chances to play in the starting team. He left Ajax in January 2011.

Final Playing Years

On 21 January 2011, Mido rejoined Zamalek on a three-and-a-half-year contract. However, due to a mistake by the club, he wasn't registered in time to play for the rest of that season.

Time at Barnsley

On 16 June 2012, Mido agreed to join English Championship side Barnsley. He signed a one-year contract. He made his league debut for Barnsley in November 2012. He left the club by mutual agreement in January 2013.

Retirement from Playing

Mido officially 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 played 51 games for the senior Egypt and scored 19 goals. Mido scored in his very first international game against the United Arab Emirates.

He was part of the Egypt team that played in the 2004 African Cup of Nations. In 2004, Mido had some issues with the national team manager, Marco Tardelli, which led to him being dropped from the team. However, after Tardelli was replaced, Mido apologized and was called back to play for Egypt in 2005.

During the 2006 African Cup of Nations, Mido had an argument with coach Hassan Shehata during a semi-final game. He was upset about being substituted. His replacement, Amr Zaki, scored a goal right away, helping Egypt reach the final. Mido later made up with the coach but was suspended from playing for Egypt for six months. After his suspension, he returned to the team.

After Playing Football

After retiring as a player, Mido became a football analyst, talking about Premier League and Champions League matches on TV. He also has his own TV show and an online show. He said he wanted to become a manager after getting the right qualifications.

Becoming a Manager

Managing Zamalek

Mido became the head coach of Zamalek on 21 January 2014, even though he was only 30 years old. He led his team to third place in the league and helped them qualify for the 2015 CAF Confederation Cup. Mido also successfully won the Egypt Cup with Zamalek, making him the youngest manager to win a trophy with a team in Egypt. He was replaced as manager in July 2014.

Working with Youth Teams

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

Managing Ismaily

On 15 July 2015, Mido became the manager of Ismaily. He resigned in December 2015 after a problem with the team captain.

Returning to Zamalek (again)

Mido returned as Zamalek's manager in January 2016. However, he was fired after only one month following a loss to their rivals Al Ahly.

Other Managerial Roles

Mido also worked as a technical advisor for Lierse and Wadi Degla. In November 2016, he was appointed manager of Wadi Degla. He later became a technical advisor and caretaker manager for Al Wehda in Saudi Arabia in December 2018, but was sacked in March 2019. In June 2019, he became manager of El Makkasa, but was sacked in January 2020.

Last Coaching Job

Mido's last coaching job was with Ismaily again during the 2022–2023 season. He was sacked after nine games. He felt disrespected because he wasn't warned about his probable sacking. His only win with them was a 3–1 victory.

Personal Life

Mido's father, Hossam Wasfi, was also a footballer who played for Zamalek. Mido got married when he was 19 and has three sons.

At one point, Mido's weight reached 150 kg, which put his health at risk. However, he worked hard and managed to lose 37 kg in just five months.

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Zamalek

• African Cup Winners' Cup: 2000

Ajax

• Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2001–02, 2010–11
• KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2001–02
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2002

Egypt National Team

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2006

Individual Awards

• Belgian Ebony Shoe: 2001 (Best African player in Belgium)
• 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

As a Manager

Zamalek

• Egypt Cup: 2014

Images for kids

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  Mido playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2007

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  Mido playing for West Ham United in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Mido (futbolista) para niños