ANALYSIS :Ahmed Hassan Egyptian Football Pharaoh - a Story of Glory

Ahmed Hassan is considered one of the most prominent players on the continent after his long distinguished career with lots of decorations with both country and clubs.Hassan won record 4 Orange CAF African Cup of Nations titles with Egypt, Turkish cup with Besiktas, Belgian league and cup with Anderlecht, a club whose fans would not let him leave the club when he announced he wanted to get back homeWith his home club side, Al Ahly he won 3 domestic league titles, Orange CAF Champions League, CAF Super Cup and the Egyptian Super Cup as well. The Falcon as his fans call him is not yet finished after all his achievements, either with the Pharaohs or with the club sides he played for including the likes of Besiktas, Anderlecht, Al Ahly, Ismaili and his present club Zamalek.Hassan had also some individual honors like being named 2010 CAF Player of the Year (inside Africa), Orange CAF 2006 and 2010 Most Valuable Player, besides being the Worlds most capped international player with 180 caps, having recently surpassed Saudi goalkeeper Mohamed Al Duaeya (178 caps). Hassan was born in Maghagha, Minya in 1975 and he is a legend for many Egyptians and many across the African continent.Cafonline.com met up with The Egyptian Football Pharaoh to talk about his new milestone as the worlds most capped national team player and his career in generalCafonline.com: How did this fantastic career that is still going start?Hassan: I had many stages to my career starting at my home town Maghagha, then to Aswan and Ismaili which was my gate towards playing in Europe after I had won my first Cup of Nations in 1998 with my teammates.Cafonline.com: What are the most remarkable moments in your career?Hassan: For me the best moments are when I win a new trophy either with the national team or any of the clubs I played for. I can never forget winning the 1998 Orange CAF African Cup of Nations. It was a feat that transformed me from a young unknown player to a professional renowned one. Lifting the 2008 trophy as Egypt captain was an unforgettable moment too, besides being named Most Valuable Player in 2006 and 2010. Finally being the worlds most capped player is a very important milestone that I look to as the coronation of my long career.Cafonline.com: How have you been able to achieve all this?Hassan: Working hard is the key for success. You have to work hard and be patient until you achieve your goals, and I believe God always gives everyone what he deserves. I worked so hard for these achievements and was rewarded with more than what I dreamt of. Dreams never stop and once I fulfill one I start thinking what is the next one l can achieve.Cafonline.com: Are there any moments of regret in your career?Hassan: Definitely. Everyone has his own regrets, but I usually make use of these moments and come back stronger. The hardest moment was when I had a knee injury; a cruciate ligament tear, especially one which I had when l was 35 years old. Many people thought my career was over and that getting back to play will be extremely difficult. But I struggled to make a comeback and Thank God I was strong enough to lead my national team again and to make a new feat on the international level.Cafonline.com: How much of a disappointment that you have not played at a FIFA World Cup so far in your career?Hassan: Yes thats a major blow for me. I achieved many things but not featuring in the World Cup makes me sad. Participating in such a great tournament is an achievement in itself , but I still got hope and if I could achieve that in 2014 this would be another milestone to my career. But if I found that ending my playing career is the right decision I wont hesitate to hang my boots while at the top.Cafonline.com: You were nominated twice as Cup of Nations Most Valuable Player, and also won the CAF Player of the Year (playing in Africa award.) Are you disappointed that you were never chosen as CAF Player of the Year?Hassan: Im happy with what I achieved so far. Winning the CAF Player of the Year inside Africa was a major feat, besides being chosen as best player in 2006 and 2010 Cup of Nations. That was amazing. I won that title ahead of some great names who won Player of the Year awards like Samuel Etoo, Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and others.Cafonline.com: You played in Turkey and Belgium, but would you have liked to in the top leagues in Europe like English Premiership, Spanish Laliga or Italian League?Hassan: Definitely I would have liked to play in such leagues, but you dont achieve everything you wish. I believe the reason was not having a good image of the Egyptian players in Europe at that time, remember Egypts national team didnt have that good reputation by then. Besides, not having a good agent who can get you a contract was another reason, as we lacked that experience at that time, and this is a major key for a player to succeed in Europe.Cafonline.com: But did you get some offers at that time?Hassan: Yes I received some offers from Bolton Wanderers in England and Rangers from Scotland, but I thought that didnt suit my ambitions then. As I said before you dont get all what you dream of.Cafonline.com: Only a few Egyptian players like Hany Ramzy and yourself had successful careers in Europe why do you think this is so?Hassan: I believe the reason behind this is the Egyptian player mentality. Every player should have his goals in front of him and go for them. Another reason is that Egyptian clubs usually ask for exaggerated sums to release their players.Cafonline.com: You played against some great players, can you tell some of them?Hassan: Yes, I played against the likes of David Beckham, Paolo Maldini, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Ricardo Kaka, and Clarence Seedorf among others. I played against some big clubs like Real Madrid (Spain), AC Milan (Italy), Chelsea (England) and Lille (France), and on the international level I featured against some big guns like Italy, Brazil, France, England and some great African teams like Cameroon, Ghana and Cote dIvoire.Cafonline.com: Who do you regard as the best player among your team mates?Hassan: There are many good Egyptian players who had done a lot for their country and themselves, but I believe Mohamed Abou Treika is this generations best player.Cafonline.com: How do you see Egypts failure to reach the 2012 African Cup of Nations?Hassan: Our national team has reached the climax winning African Cup of Nations on 3 successive times. Logically and mathematically the curve was expected to go down and thats what happened. I believe also the unrest in Egypt had some part to play in this failure, but we also did not have replacements for some aging players in the team.Cafonline.com: How do you see the upcoming generation of Egyptian footballers?Hassan: We have some very talented players who I wish could continue what we started for Egypt. They qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and had a good run in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and I believe they have a good chance to re-write history, with the help of the experienced players.Cafonline.com: And whats your advice for them?Hassam: To work hard, and be patient till they fulfill their goals. Make good use of the chance and be satisfied with what you have until you reach higher horizons, and make football all your life. Football is a different career and if you want to succeed you have to restrict your life to it.Cafonline.com: What are your future plans after retirement?Hassan: I believe I wont go far from football. I have two choices; either coaching which I believe I can be good at because of the experiences I had throughout my career, or football media which Im thinking seriously of. I will wait for the suitable moment to take my decision.Cafonline.com

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ANALYSIS :Ahmed Hassan Egyptian Football Pharaoh - a Story of Glory