Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best defenders to have starred for the Pharaohs.
There is a famous saying that goes, ‘Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’. For Egypt, who have the most African Cup of Nations titles, this might be truer than any other nation on the continent.
Throughout their rich football history, the Pharaohs have been blessed with many legendary figures in their backline. Let’s take a look at our picks for the best Egyptian defenders of all time.
5- Ahmed Elmohamady
Elmohamady started his career by playing for the academy teams of Mahalla and Enppi SC. Having established a reputation as one of the most promising football prodigies of Egypt, he moved to Sunderland in 2010.
In England, the right-back went on to play for Hull City and Aston Villa. He also managed to become a regular started for Egypt in the early 2000s, bringing more stability to their already star-studded backline.
Elmohamady won the AFCON two times, in 2008 and 2010. He then represented the Pharaohs in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, taking his cap tally to 92.
4- Hani Moustafa
When it comes to the greatest Egyptian left-backs of all time, Moustafa does not have many close contenders. The former Al Ahly star was one of the best African defenders of the early 1970s.
Moustafa was famous for his incredible pace and physicality, taking part in both defensive and offensive phases of the game. He reached his peak during the Pharaohs’ AFCON triumphs in 1970 and 1974. During his 11-year-long international career, Moustafa was a cornerstone of both Egypt and Al Ahly squads.
3- Hany Ramzy
Ramzy was Egypt’s most successful player in Europe during the 1990s. He started his career at Al Ahly, but a move to Swiss side Xamax changed the course of his career at a young age.
The centre-back then moved to Bundesliga, where he played for Werder Bremen, Saarbrucken, and Kaiserslautern. The Egypt star never left Bundesliga before his retirement in 2006.
Ramzy’s international career began when, as a teenager, he starred for Egypt in the 1990 World Cup. He went on to make 120 international caps, winning the 1998 AFCON tournament with the Pharaohs.
2- Wael Gomaa
Gomaa played an integral role in Egypt’s AFCON triple in the 2000s. Having spent most of his club career at Al Ahly, he also won six CAF Champions League titles and eight domestic league trophies with the Egyptian giants.
The former defender was a leader in Egypt’s squad during their AFCON-winning campaigns of 2006, 2008, and 2010. He spent a short spell at Qatari side Al-Sailiya in 2007 but returned to Al Ahly a year later. Gomaa took his total cap tally to 117 before hanging his boots in 2014.
1- Ibrahim Youssef
Youssef is widely considered among the greatest African defenders of all time. The former Zamalek star helped the Egyptian giants win the African cup twice, earning second place in France Football’s rankings of the best African players in 1984.
Youssef’s unique style of play combined the classic sweeper role with the spatial awareness of modern centre-backs. He established himself as an undisputed starter for the Pharaohs during the 1980s, playing a crucial role in their gold-winning campaign in 1987 All Africa Games.
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