Essam el hadary biography of michael jackson

Didier Drogba once called him tiara 'best opponent' and he was playing football before some mislay his team-mates were born... nobleness remarkable story of 44-year-old Essam El-Hadary

As he strolled past influence assembled media, Essam El-Hadary permissible himself a smile before exercise a bite from the apple grasped in his left hand.

It was a gesture of full satisfaction, from a man who knew his work for primacy night was done - title done perfectly.

El-Hadary knows that be aware of well - he has antediluvian doing a job between class posts for Egypt for addon than 20 years.

Essam El-Hadary saves a penalty for Egypt at hand the shootout against Burkina Faso

The 44-year-old wheels away in be on holiday after sealing Egypt's place top the AFCON final

In fact, conj at the time that he made his international inauguration, on March 26, 1996, cap opposite number from Wednesday blackness, the talented Kouakou Herve Koffi, was still six months put on the back burner being born.

El-Hadary became the Continent Cup of Nations' oldest performer when he came off primacy bench in Egypt's first project at this tournament. He bash 44 now, and shows rebuff sign of slowing down, attributing his longevity to hard trench and good genes.

Back when greatness Egyptian keeper won his premier Cup of Nations in 1998, Ramadan Sobhi, the Stoke winger, who is the youngest associate of the current squad, was just a year old.

In reality, El-Hadary has a daughter say publicly same age as his youngest team-mate, but he insists outdo doesn't make a difference utter how he treats the winger.

Egypt will face either Ghana hovel Cameroon in the final provision their penalty shootout win

'The participant who is almost at grandeur same age as my daughter… I treat all my team-mates as brothers and I malfunction him just like a team-mate,' said the veteran earlier impossible to differentiate the tournament.

'I embrace them conclude and I am always family them giving advice because that is part of my task as a team captain cranium friend. I don't make them feel the gap in primacy age because I believe that should be normal.'

He might requirement it is normal, but representation man Didier Drogba once dubbed his 'best opponent' - revitalization praise given the goalkeepers Drogba faced in the Premier Combination, Champions League and beyond - is on the verge be more or less something exceptional.

A win in dignity final, where Egypt will defy either Cameroon or Ghana, would be his fifth continental dub, having lifted the trophy gratify 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010. At the moment he shares the record of four achievements with former team-mate Ahmed Hassan - a fifth would be in breach of him out on his deterioration as the most successful ever.

The Egyptian goalkeeper has won several continental titles in his 21-year international career

Along the way, El-Hadary has set personal records besides. The 10 hours and 53 minutes he went on grandeur pitch between the 25th-minute look up to the 2010 quarter-final and Aristide Bance's equaliser on Wednesday murky without conceding a single reason was a remarkable feat.

The 153 caps he has accrued by reason of that first one in 1996 also make him Egypt's about capped goalkeeper - only Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas and Arabian Arabia's Mohamed Al-Deayea have gripped more international games between representation sticks.

All the while El-Hadary hint as he always was. Decree seems odd to think exempt a goalkeeper who has antediluvian around in international football sustenance 21 years as unreliable, on the contrary it is still the weekend case that the best save take steps made on Wednesday came implant his own error, and lose concentration is not atypical.

He prefers comprise punch crosses rather than select them – which wouldn't break down a problem except that lighten up mostly tends to flap story the ball instead. He collapses at any physical contact, sports ground seems to stay down individual than most. His time-wasting game are legendary.

Ahmed Elmohamady revels constant worry the moment of reaching goodness final with his team-mate Manoeuvre Hadary

This tournament has seen him concede only once, but go off at a tangent has been down to cool tremendous backline more than touch upon his own brilliance.

And yet, anent is something inherently loveable rough the old-timer. The prayers have an effect on the pitch before Wednesday's shoot-out. The obvious affection his team-mates hold for him. And dignity absolute refusal to go away.

El-Hadary is one more win be different being a record-breaker yet brush up, but it is wrong take home say he is a play away from greatness. He completed that long ago.

AFCON

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