Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best goalkeepers to have starred for the Pharaohs.
Mohamed Abou Gabal’s incredible performance for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 was a rare case of a reserve keeper salvaging his side’s campaign in a major tournament. The Pharaohs star replaced the injured Mohammed El Shenawy, playing a vital role in their road to the final.
The Zamalek goalkeeper is following the footsteps of several generations of great Egyptian keepers. Let’s take a look at our picks for the best Egyptian goalkeepers of all time.
3- Mustafa Mansour
Mansour was one of the first Egyptian players to establish his reputation in a European league. The former Al-Ahly star featured for Egypt in the 1934 World Cup in Italy.
The Pharaoh legend went on to represent Egypt in the 1936 Olympics. Egypt manager James McCrae is said to have influenced Mansour’s biggest decision of his career, which was moving to Scotland.
There he played for Queens Park while studying at Jordanhill College alongside legendary striker Mohamed Latif. Mansour became one of the first non-British or Irish players to star in the Scottish league.
2- Nader El-Sayed
Zamalek’s goalkeeping prodigy made his international debut as a teenager in 1992. He went on to make 110 caps for Egypt, becoming their second most capped keeper.
He represented Egypt in several major tournaments, winning the Africa Cup of Nations with the Pharaohs in 1998. The Dakahlia-born keeper was Zamalek’s number one between 1992 and 1998, winning two African Cup of Champions Clubs and two Egyptian League titles.
El-Sayed joined Belgian side Club Brugge in 1998, where he stayed for two years before returning to Egypt to play for El-Maaden. Three years before his retirement, El-Sayed stood between Al-Ahly’s posts in their 2005 FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
1- Essam El-Hadary
El-Hadary was an undisputed starter for the Pharaohs during their AFCON treble in the 2000s. The former Al Ahly keeper won the continental trophy in 1996, 2006, 2008, and 2010, claiming the competition’s Golden Glove three times.
After his 12-year-spell at Al Ahly ended in 2008, El-Hadary went on to play for several clubs, including Swiss side FC Sion. The Egyptian icon became the oldest player to make his World Cup debut when he represented the Pharaohs in their 2018 campaign at the age of 45.
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